


The Answer Was Love

by azure_rosa



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Courtship, F/M, M/M, Pre-Slash, Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-05-31
Updated: 2012-08-14
Packaged: 2017-11-12 04:44:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 20,348
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/486843
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/azure_rosa/pseuds/azure_rosa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"This isn’t magic — it’s logic — a puzzle.  A lot of the greatest wizards haven’t got an ounce of logic; they’d be stuck in here forever."  What if Remus, who has being trying and failing to befriend Severus for several years, learned of Severus’ affinity for logic puzzles?  What if after befriending him, he fell in love and decided that maybe the only way to Severus’ heart was through his brain?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Timeline: Post war, both lived, the Tonks train wreak never happened and thus no Teddy.
> 
> Pairings: Friendship and eventual Snape/Lupin Pre-slash. Background Harry/Hermione.
> 
> Disclaimer: If you think any of these characters are mine please tell me what world you live in so I can move there posthaste! Also all of the puzzles in this story are real and actual logic puzzles that I have solved in various computer games with the obvious exception of the Rubik’s cube which I played in reality. None of the puzzles mentioned hereafter are my intellectual property and at the end I will give credit where credit is due for each in order of appearance.
> 
> AN: Special thanks to [](http://countesszero.dreamwidth.org/profile)[**countesszero**](http://countesszero.dreamwidth.org/) , [](http://bonfoi.dreamwidth.org/profile)[**bonfoi**](http://bonfoi.dreamwidth.org/) and [](http://www.dreamwidth.org/profile?user=parseltonguepen)[**parseltonguepen**](http://www.dreamwidth.org/profile?user=parseltonguepen) for advice and beta work.
> 
> Warnings/kinks: none yet unless mind games, both literal and metaphorical, count. Sneaky Remus, sneaky Severus, courtship, drama. Also I switch POV between the boys; hopefully it will be simple to tell whose head you’re in. This **is** a WIP, but I have most of the beginning and about half of the end done, I just need to do the middle and the very end. I suspect I will post a section a month without any real breaks as I've quite the backlog. :)

"So we finally get to Snape’s protection on the stone and of course he had to be different. Hermione said, 'This isn’t magic — it's logic — a puzzle. A lot of the greatest wizards haven’t got an ounce of logic; they'd be stuck in here forever.' I’ve still got no idea how she figured it out so fast…"

I had stopped listening, not that Harry noticed. A new and brilliant idea was hatching in my brain. Unbeknownst to me a slightly evil smile, my Marauder smile, was slowly creeping across my face. Who knew that one of Harry's stories about his adventures from his school days could solve a problem I had been puzzling over for several years?

Maybe if I sent a puzzle by owl mail tomorrow morning and showed up for dinner at Hogwarts I would finally have a way through Severus’ defenses. I'd been trying to befriend my snarky classmate for the better part of three decades and this might finally do the trick. I turned my attention back to Harry’s story realizing it was just winding up. "…Of course I didn’t know any of that as I was passed out by then. I woke up in the Hospital wing soon after. That seems to be a pattern of the end of my stories doesn't it?"

I smiled teasingly, "Just now noticing that Harry?" He blushed just as easily has his mother when teased. As much as I care for Harry visiting always made me remember and miss my old friends, even Peter despite his betrayal. It was a lonely feeling to be the last of the Marauders and nearly the last of my generation.

"I never claimed to be quick on the uptake Remus; if I was Hermione wouldn't have had to pull me under the mistletoe to get my attention!"

"I’m pleased you two are still getting along so well. Do you think your relationship is going somewhere?"

"I hope so. I-I think I love her." Harry didn't quite blurt that out, but it was a close thing. I can't say I am surprised, I had seen them interacting over the last six months or so and they are a textbook case of lovebirds.

"Congratulations then! Have you told the lovely lady yet?"

"No, I've tried a few times but I get so nervous." Even talking to me about it was enough to make Harry blush and fidget. He reminds me of myself as a young man. I was horribly shy all through school and even into my early thirties.

"Believe it or not being nervous is a good sign. It shows you really care about her and how she will react. I suspect Hermione will not be displeased to hear such a thing from you, in fact I imagine you may get tackled again."

"Do you really think so?" Hope shone from Harry’s bright eyes.

"Your parents used to look at each other the way you and Hermione do, so yes I'm sure. Some people find setting up a romantic evening the best way to go when telling someone they love them, it helps them feel in control of the situation, but I've always had better luck with just spending some quiet time alone with the person and telling them once I've gathered my courage."

"Remus, are you happy?" Harry’s sudden question caught me off-guard. I floundered briefly as I tried to come up with a response that wasn't patently false or pathetic sounding.

"I am better off than I’ve been in years. I've steady work and a place of my own."

"That wasn't what I asked Remus."

"I am content with my life."

"Then why do you always get that wistful look when you visit?"

"Do I? I am sorry Harry, I don't mean to." I paused to gather my thoughts before continuing, "I find myself lonely for a friend of my own age at times. There are so few of my generation left and even fewer that I know personally."

Harry nodded understandingly, "I get that. I was cut-off from my peers several times and it was always a lonely feeling. Maybe you should try to develop a friendship with one of the Order members? They are likely just as lonely for company their age as you are."

Harry’s heart-felt advice was cut off by the sound of the fireplace connecting for a floo call. Hermione’s face floated in the green fire and immediately began to speak.

"Harry, are you home? Oh, hello Remus, sorry I interrupted, I didn’t know you were visiting."

"No bother Hermione, I was just leaving. I wish you the best of luck Harry. Not that I think you need it." With a reassuring smile and a conspiratorial wink in Harry’s direction I took my leave.

After apparating home I began to plot. If Harry was to be believed Severus had an affinity for logic puzzles much like myself. The angle of challenging Severus' intellect in a fashion that would force him to play along, even if only to prove himself to his old rival, somehow had never occurred to me before. Now all I had to do was gather my favorite puzzles that I hoped might stump the clever Slytherin, at least for a while. It seemed ridiculously simple but then all the best plans usually are.

Early the following morning I carefully tied a smallish perfect cube to the leg of my black and gray owl, Olivia, whom I sent with strict instructions to give it to Severus at the breakfast table _after_ the headmistress had arrived. I knew I could count on Minerva being both concerned with the proper social protocol that she would not let Severus torch my missive and gift without opening it first and curious enough to demand he open it at the table. It was the only way I could guarantee my gift would be received and, hopefully, kept. To the package I added a challenge thinly disguised as a friendly note.

_Severus,  
A little bird told me you share my love of logic puzzles. Enclosed you will find one of the first puzzles of that sort I ever encountered and solved. I hope you will find it as engaging as I did as a teenager. The objective is to twist the cube to make each side a solid color. I took the liberty of setting it up for you. One of my favorite aspects of this particular puzzle is its replay value; I’ve beaten this particular puzzle numerous times with ease so I doubt it will pose much of a challenge to you.  
Best of luck with your new Rubik’s cube!  
Remus_

I smirked to myself as I penned my missive. If that didn’t make Severus determined to beat me at my own game nothing would. After sending Olivia off with her package I settled into my office to work but my thoughts wandered to my previous attempts to befriend Severus.

I’d tried periodically to engage him in conversation, everything from intellectual debate to lurid gossip, all to no avail. Offers of joint outings to dinner or academic conferences all answered with, "I, unlike some people, have important demands on my time Lupin!" I had been at the end of my metaphorical rope for quite a while. Hopefully this new plan would succeed where so many of its predecessors had failed.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "This isn’t magic — it’s logic — a puzzle. A lot of the greatest wizards haven’t got an ounce of logic; they’d be stuck in here forever." What if Remus, who has being trying and failing to befriend Severus for several years, learned of Severus’ affinity for logic puzzles? What if after befriending him, he fell in love and decided that maybe the only way to Severus’ heart was through his brain?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: If you think any of these characters are mine please tell me what world you live in so I can move there posthaste! Also all of the puzzles in this story are real and actual logic puzzles that I have solved in various computer games with the obvious exception of the Rubik’s cube which I played in reality. None of the puzzles mentioned hereafter are my intellectual property and at the end I will give credit where credit is due for each in order of appearance. 
> 
> AN: Special thanks to , and for advice and beta work. As always all remaining mistakes are solely mine.
> 
> Warnings/kinks: none yet unless mind games, both literal and metaphorical, count. Sneaky Remus, sneaky Severus, courtship, drama. Also I switch POV between the boys; hopefully it will be simple to tell whose head you’re in.

Students, students and more students. For all that the names and faces change the same patterns arise almost as if people are only capable of a limited variety of social groupings. Why do I still teach now that I have the option to pursue a new career again? I am so incalculably _bored_ with teaching so many students that view my subject as something they will never need to know. While there are rare exceptions to this, the majority of these students I would never deign to teach if given the choice.

If I am truly honest with myself it isn’t just my job. I feel trapped, stagnant at this point of my life in all aspects. I want to change things but I’ve grown accustomed to my life as it is, I’ve no idea how to go about making the sweeping changes of which I dream. I sometimes think I’ve always lived here, always done this job I despise and I always will. I never really broke ties with Hogwarts and, like a jealous lover, she keeps pulling me back regardless of my own desires.

Is it any surprise when I received an unexpected package from the outside world I grabbed it with suspicion but much more interest than I would be willing to admit? It was a break in my mind-numbingly monotonous routine and interesting besides. Of course my colleges are all _completely incapable_ of minding their own business and began to gawk and ask questions immediately.

As I read the note attached I grew more and more agitated. Remus _bloody_ Lupin thought I couldn’t handle his little puzzle! I’d show him, I’d solve the odd cube before dinner easily; likely it would only take me moments to figure out and minutes to solve. The thought of showing up one of the Marauders put an added spring in my step as I hurried down to my classroom to prepare the day’s lesson, the oddly colorful cube grasped fiercely in my hand.

As usual I had everything set up a full half hour before even the earliest students would arrive and a full hour before class started, but today I had something more than just Potions Quarterly to entertain me as I waited for the brats to show. I settled into my desk chair and examined the odd cube. It had six colors thoroughly scrambled but I understood from the instructions that each side was to have its own solid color when it was properly solved. 

It seemed so childishly simple, but I attempted to solve it anyway for a change of pace thinking it would be the work of a minute at most. The next thing I knew someone was knocking tentatively on the door to my classroom and if anything the cube was more scrambled than before. Mildly annoyed but intrigued by this deceptively simple puzzle I shoved the cube in my desk drawer and went to open the door. To my surprise my entire class was standing out there wondering what had become of their anally punctual teacher. 

_I was late_!

I was more intrigued by the cube than annoyed by my failure to solve it in a matter of moments. Though it would have been satisfying to be able to claim I had solved Lupin’s little puzzle in mere minutes I relished being forced to use my mind again after the stupor of my daily routine. It was invigorating. Class seemed to take longer than usual as I waited impatiently for the students to finish and leave so I could try my hand at that perplexing colorful cube once again.

My sweep of the classroom was faster and more perfunctory than usual, as was my prep work for my next class in half an hour. Thinking of what had happened last time I set a timer for two minutes before class was due to start before eagerly pulling forth the cube again. This time I was more successful, lining up clusters of one color on each side, twisting, turning and manipulating the faces of the cube purposefully. 

Strangely enough the closer I seemed to get to completing this extraordinary puzzle the harder it became to make a move that would not reverse my progress on another side. I felt like I was dead locked in a game of chess where there were only two moves available: suicide or counter-productive movement. Far too soon my timer went off and I reluctantly put my ingeniously frustrating new puzzle away again to teach the ungrateful brats lurking outside my door once again.

My day passed faster and more pleasantly than usual as the colorful cube consumed my free time without me realizing it. Finally, just before dinner I solved it for the first time. I’ve no idea how long it took me all told, but I enjoyed the mental exercise. I felt like someone had dusted my brain off. Intellectually satisfied for the first time in far too long I headed to dinner in the best mood I’d been in since the war ended. Imagine my surprise when I found a certain werewolf sitting next to my usual chair. 

“Evening Severus! What did you make of my little puzzle?”

Suddenly quite glad I had solved the puzzle in question already I decided to rub my victory in my rival’s face.

“Simple enough,” I said in an off-hand tone, pulling the solved cube from my pocket with a smug smirk. I wouldn’t dare tell him it had taken me hours to solve, especially since I was sure my time was more a product of my brain’s lack of puzzle solving in recent years than an accurate reflection of the cube’s difficulty level. After all Lupin had managed as a _teenager_ so it couldn’t have been exceptionally difficult. 

“Good for you! It took me _hours_ my first time, I couldn’t stand the thought of breaking up the groups of color I’d already made.”

“Yes, that seemed counter-intuitive.”

“Ah, well we both eventually solved it in the end.” He paused to eat for a few minutes before continuing, “Did you know there are children who can actually solve that puzzle in under a minute?”

I had to try much harder to keep a straight face than usual as disbelief filled me. “How?” I asked skeptically.

“Very quickly and carefully?” That earned him one of my medium grade glares. “Honestly I haven’t the foggiest how they do it. I take about ten minutes on a good day.”

“I’ll believe that when I see it!”

“That children can solve it so quickly or that I can?”

“Choose.”

“Very well, I’ll give you a demonstration.”

“My rooms after dinner.”

“Of course Severus.”


	3. The Answer Was Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "This isn’t magic — it’s logic — a puzzle. A lot of the greatest wizards haven’t got an ounce of logic; they’d be stuck in here forever." What if Remus, who has being trying and failing to befriend Severus for several years, learned of Severus’ affinity for logic puzzles? What if after befriending him, he fell in love and decided that maybe the only way to Severus’ heart was through his brain?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: If you think any of these characters are mine please tell me what world you live in so I can move there posthaste! Also all of the puzzles in this story are real and actual logic puzzles that I have solved in various computer games with the obvious exception of the Rubik’s cube which I played in reality. None of the puzzles mentioned hereafter are my intellectual property and at the end I will give credit where credit is due for each in order of appearance.
> 
> AN: Special thanks to [](http://countesszero.dreamwidth.org/profile)[**countesszero**](http://countesszero.dreamwidth.org/) , [](http://bonfoi.dreamwidth.org/profile)[**bonfoi**](http://bonfoi.dreamwidth.org/) and [](http://www.dreamwidth.org/profile?user=parseltonguepen)[**parseltonguepen**](http://www.dreamwidth.org/profile?user=parseltonguepen) for advice and beta work. As always all remaining mistakes are solely mine.
> 
> Warnings/kinks: none yet unless mind games, both literal and metaphorical, count. Sneaky Remus, sneaky Severus, courtship, drama. Also I switch POV between the boys; hopefully it will be simple to tell whose head you’re in. This **is** a WIP, but I have most of the beginning and about half of the end done, I just need to do the middle and the very end. I suspect I will post a section a month without any real breaks as I've quite the backlog. :)

That went better than I had dared to hope! Not only did Severus and I have the closest thing we had ever had to a normal, non-work related conversation, but was I invited back to Severus’ private quarters to prove my prowess with the rubik’s cube.

Severus scoffed all the way to his rooms before settling into his armchair before the fire like a Prince waiting for his jester to entertain him. He scrambled the puzzle thoroughly before handing it to me and setting a timer. Luckily my boast had not been idly made. During the war the endless waiting had been dulled by this little puzzle, so I was as good with it as I had been as a teen if not better.

I could feel Severus’ eyes on me as I worked at the colorful little puzzle. I couldn’t say if he was trying to make sure I didn’t cheat or attempting to unnerve me. Either way he would be disappointed. I was choosing my moves carefully instead of tearing through it like a madman as I’m sure Severus half expected. Familiarity with the puzzle helps substantially but even so it was a fun challenge.

About four minutes in I was wondering if I would manage my usual time. After all, Murphy’s Law loves to make liars out of those who dare to brag and demonstrate their ability before a skeptical audience. At about six I was starting to wrap it up, only a handful of squares were out of place. Before nine minutes had passed I was done. The look of disbelief on Severus’ face as I returned the solved cube to him was comical, but I didn’t dare laugh for fear he would think I was poking fun at him.

“One of my better times frankly.”

Instead of being mad over being shown up, as I half expected, Severus seemed intrigued.

“Is there some trick to the puzzle that one learns with familiarity?”

“There are several methods involving patterns that make it easier, I use several of the simpler ones personally, but the main trick is a rather complex math formula. Once you have even a basic understanding of it you can solve the puzzle with much fewer twists. Though most people, like me, completely ignore the formula and just become really familiar with how the puzzle works through repetition.”

“I would be interested in seeing the formula if you remember it.”

“I have it written down somewhere. I tried to figure it out once, but Arithmancy never was my best subject.” Severus smirked at that, no doubt recalling my frequent blunders in that very class so long ago.

“This was fun, we should do it again sometime.” I smiled before I turned towards the door, sure Severus would be eager for my departure.

“Leaving so soon?” I turned to look back at Severus as he spoke, astonished I wasn’t being dismissed. He looked surprised and maybe just a bit… lonely?

“I don’t want to overstay my welcome.”

“When have I ever allowed anyone to do so, Lupin?”

“To my knowledge?” I replied with the barest hint of a tease coloring my tone, “Never.”

“Then rest assured I am both capable and likely to get rid of you when you become an annoyance.” It sounded like he didn’t want me to leave. I was surprised, but pleased by this turn of events. I had assumed it would take several such short and unintrusive visits before I would be invited to stick around for a bit of a chat.

“As you wish, Severus.” I responded as I claimed the unused looking chair beside his.

At first a mildly awkward silence settled upon us as we cast about for a safe topic of conversation. Despite having known each other for multiple decades we knew very little of each other on a personal level. Eventually I decided to continue on our so far successful mutual interest: puzzles. Many of the puzzles I knew required a board or something solid but I knew a number of riddles from various sources.

We sat together in the flickering light of the fire challenging each other with various riddles we knew. Some we both recognized but many were new and had to be puzzled out. Listening to Severus attempt to unravel the riddles I put before him reminded me of how I solved them myself years ago and yet was completely different. Some I had found incredibly difficult he grasped almost instantly while others I had solved almost immediately stumped him for quite a while.

With each riddle the other was unfamiliar with came a story about how and where it was learned. While many of mine came from books, most of Severus’ came from his travels during his summer break. Between searching for exotic ingredients to experiment with and conferences with his colleges Severus had heard a number of riddles I was sure were rarely heard outside of the regions he found them.

I think we might very well have whiled away the entire night had I not caught myself yawning for the fourth time in as many minutes. I realized suddenly I was tired, I’d been so caught up in our game I hadn’t noticed the passing of time. A quick glance at the clock warranted another as I was sure I had made an error, yet the fact remained it was past three.

“I really should take my leave of you now, Severus.”

“All that thinking has worn you out has it?”

“That and it is a quarter past three.” I was half convinced Severus was going to give himself whiplash with how fast he swung his head towards his clock.

“That _can’t_ be right.”

“You sure about that? It feels right to my eyes,” I said rubbing at them. Apparently the sandman had visited without waiting for me to be asleep. Impatient bastard.

“But that means you’ve been here _seven hours!_ ”

“Time flies when you’re having fun doesn’t it?”

Severus muttered something I didn’t quite catch but it sounded incredulous.

“I had fun anyway; I hope you did as well. Same time, same place next week or would you rather join me at mine?”

“Here will suit.”

“Sounds like a plan then! I’ll see you at supper in a week. Sleep well Severus.”


	4. The Answer Was Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "This isn’t magic — it’s logic — a puzzle. A lot of the greatest wizards haven’t got an ounce of logic; they’d be stuck in here forever." What if Remus, who has being trying and failing to befriend Severus for several years, learned of Severus’ affinity for logic puzzles? What if after befriending him, he fell in love and decided that maybe the only way to Severus’ heart was through his brain?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: If you think any of these characters are mine please tell me what world you live in so I can move there posthaste! Also all of the puzzles in this story are real and actual logic puzzles that I have solved in various computer games with the obvious exception of the Rubik’s cube which I played in reality. None of the puzzles mentioned hereafter are my intellectual property and at the end I will give credit where credit is due for each in order of appearance.
> 
> Warnings/kinks: none yet unless mind games, both literal and metaphorical, count. Sneaky Remus, sneaky Severus, courtship, drama. Also I switch POV between the boys; hopefully it will be simple to tell whose head you’re in.

Lupin left and I found myself unexpectedly drowsy, as if I hadn’t realized I was tired until I had my attention drawn to the lateness of the hour. I still couldn’t quite wrap my head around the idea that Lupin sat in my rarely utilized guest chair for seven bloody hours as we chatted amicably about riddles of all things!

I knew he was not an unintelligent man, working with him in the Order had dispelled that particular misconception from our school days handily, yet I never took him for someone with the flexibility of thought necessary for riddles and puzzles. There are many types of intelligence after all, but I had incorrectly pegged Lupin as a more bookish and ridged thinker.

Looking back I realized that he had shown all of the tell-tale signs of more flexible thinking. He had come up with several unique solutions to maintain my cover while I was working against the Dark Lord. He helped plan the strategies of several greatly successful battles with rather Slytherin tactics using the enemies’ prejudice and assumptions against them to augment or in one memorable occasion even eliminate the need for brute force. I assume he was at least indirectly involved with the more ingenious of the Marauder’s pranks as well.

I stacked the graded essays I would return to the students the following week by class as I mused. That could very well be the crux of my willful blindness. I did not wish to see a kindred spirit allied with those fools so I did not. Errors are acceptable but willful ignorance is not. I did not know Lupin especially well, but I had all of the information necessary to assess him and his capabilities adequately and still failed. Unacceptable.

Judging someone based strictly on the company they keep was erroneous at best and foolish at worst. As a Slytherin I should know better than to allow preconceived notions to cloud my judgment. After all, only seeing the surface is all but asking to be caught off guard as I was tonight. An imprudent mistake I had chided many of my Slytherins for, one I knew better than to make, or so I had thought.

What was Lupin’s intent? He had approached me with a motive, that much was certain. Picking up the cube he had handed back to me earlier sparked a memory as I placed it back in my desk. The note! A quick search of my pockets resulted in me finding it again. As I re-read the note I realized it had been much more calculated than I had at first given my old classmate credit for. My, but the Gryffindor lion has scales! What an intriguing mix; cunning with bravery, brashness with subtlety. I’d been so sure I had Lupin figured out years ago that I misattributed one characteristic for the other when it reality it was a curious mix of both.

I readied myself for bed, still lost in thought over this development. I still do not know his motivations, but I should have an interesting time working them out. It would be my own private puzzle to solve during the dreary evenings. Even if his company should prove less engaging in the future than it was tonight, much to my surprise, it will give me something to ponder and new data to consider.

If Lupin proved as interesting a distraction in the future as he had tonight I would welcome his company with open arms, though I could not help but be suspicious of his intent. Why had he sought me out now? What did he seek to gain? I already supplied the Wolfsbane potion for him, though he was charged for the privilege these days, what else would he be after that I could provide?

If Lupin’s intent was to make me the butt of his jokes as I had been as a mere boy he would not only disappointed but more than a little singed for his pains. I was no longer a boy and he no longer had the advantage of numbers over me. I had misjudged him before though so this time I would reach my conclusion only _after_ all of the evidence had been presented.

Mind made up I finally settled into my bed, quite glad it was the weekend so I could sleep in, yet annoyed that Friday was so far away. I could be patient, but I _loathed_ not knowing. My opponent was a Gryffindor so he likely would not have the patience to wait much longer before stating his intentions, but he had proven more Slytherin than I had anticipated so I could be wrong.

Enough of this nonsense! I would sleep now and contemplate the newly discovered facets of Lupin’s personality later. After all, he must be after something, no one seeks me out merely for the pleasure of my company. He would return, if only to try to increase the odds of my agreement to his request. I was somewhat surprised and impressed he hadn’t succumbed to his Gryffindor nature and blurted it out in an hour or less. Another example of Lupin flouting my expectations of him; perhaps he is less predictable than I previously assumed.

Finally sleep claimed me, though my dreams illustrated my circling thoughts. Some held likely scenarios, favors to be asked, usually for cures to unfortunate curses or illnesses, but others were less so, an axe to bury, sometimes as a token of peace, other times in my back. All purely speculative of course, but most of my dreams were quite plausible.

Morning came far too soon. Groggily I pulled myself from my comfortable bed to use the loo and have some water in the doubtless vain hope of another hour or two of sleep. Carefully keeping my eyes half closed to limit the light that hit my eyes I went about my business before gratefully topping back into bed and almost immediately passing out.

The week passed both slower and quicker than usual as I pondered the puzzle of Lupin’s behavior. I simultaneously wanted to figure him out before he showed up on Friday and to still be stumped so I would have _something_ to think about while the endless stream of faceless students brewed their mediocre potions. Friday was both a goal and a deadline. That I did not understand the motivations of a Gryffindor, even an intelligent one, grated on my Slytherin pride.


	5. The Answer Was Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "This isn’t magic — it’s logic — a puzzle. A lot of the greatest wizards haven’t got an ounce of logic; they’d be stuck in here forever." What if Remus, who has being trying and failing to befriend Severus for several years, learned of Severus’ affinity for logic puzzles? What if after befriending him, he fell in love and decided that maybe the only way to Severus’ heart was through his brain?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: If you think any of these characters are mine please tell me what world you live in so I can move there posthaste! Also all of the puzzles in this story are real and actual logic puzzles that I have solved in various computer games with the obvious exception of the Rubik’s cube which I played in reality. None of the puzzles mentioned hereafter are my intellectual property and at the end I will give credit where credit is due for each in order of appearance.
> 
> Puzzle: The Bishop Swap originally came to my attention in the computer game "The Seventh Guest" though I suspect they didn't invent it. Should you wish to play the puzzle yourself you can find it here: (<http://www.pothoven.net/bishopPuzzle.html>) Note that it is actually solvable in 36 moves, but don't expect to manage that without a lot of practice and/or a walk-through for the puzzle. I'd love to hear how you do on the puzzle should you decide to give it a whirl! :D The other puzzle mentioned didn't seem to have a name as far as I could tell so I called it "The Queen's Dilemma" and I also found it in "The Seventh Guest".
> 
> Warnings/kinks: none yet unless mind games, both literal and metaphorical, count. Sneaky Remus, sneaky Severus, courtship, drama. Also I switch POV between the boys; hopefully it will be simple to tell whose head you’re in.

If I wasn’t so tired I’d feel like dancing. That had gone better than I had ever dared hope! Severus and I had got on swimmingly for _hours_! Granted no sticky topics had been brought up, but that was a reason to celebrate in and of itself. Severus’ favorite way to show displeasure was to bring up a painful or embarrassing topic until you left him alone, so the lack was telling.

I had missed talking to someone my own age. Harry and his friends are enjoyable company, but they are all still young and active enough that they would rather go out and do something than spend a quiet evening at home chatting. If I can do half as well as I did tonight in the future I think even Severus wouldn’t object to my company on a semi-regular basis.

As much as I appreciated having someone my age to talk to I suspected Severus was nearly as desperate. Granted he had a built in group of adults to speak to should the fancy ever strike him, but he had the same problem I did except in reverse. He was too young for them. I’m sure they were more than willing to chat with him if he was so inclined, but it is difficult to talk to people intimately who distinctly remember what you looked like as a spotty teen under their care as if it was yesterday.

It is probable the only reason I wasn’t tossed out on my ear is because he is every bit as lonely as I have been. Maybe even more so. A sad thought, but likely. Well, my company had been accepted, eagerly even by Severus’ standards, so we could both benefit from the company as long as we both wished.

Satisfied with my reasoning and truly tired I prepared for bed quickly. Sleep came almost as soon as my head hit my pillow, but my mind turned the evening over as I slept providing me with thought provoking dreams throughout the night. Ideas were hatched and discarded or kept according to their merit, though I did not recall most of them when consciousness returned to me.

My week passed productively, though it did seem longer than usual as I actually had something to look forward to for once. I worked on translating an old Greek play into English during the week. It was a slow and pain-staking process and often I had to change my translations after re-reading them to make the content and intent of the author clearer. It was a hard job. The two languages, while related, were quite different when it came to nuance as so much was communicated in shades of meaning using distinctions between words that existed in one language but not the other.

It was slow going and would likely take at least a month to translate the collection of parchment rolls before going back to revise and clarify the language and flow of the play. It could turn out that there were parts missing or it could be a complete piece, it was hard to tell prior to translation, though the length was promising.

As Friday approached, my nerves returned. We couldn’t very well talk about puzzles forever, sooner or later we would run out of known ones to challenge each other with, so what would we talk about? I tried to picture the two of us sitting around talking about the weather, but it just didn’t work aside from making me laugh to myself.

Maybe Severus would come up with something to talk about and maybe he wouldn’t, I’d just have to play it by ear. It might be that without puzzles to talk about we had nothing in common aside from our ages and living through two wars. I hoped not; I had greatly enjoyed Severus’ company.

For the meantime I took to reminding myself of some of my favorite word puzzles, they were easiest to challenge Severus with as they needed no props, though I suspected I would want to toss another, more hands on puzzle, into the mix sooner or later. Maybe one of the chess puzzles I had encountered?

Some of them were quite challenging and many had more than one solution for all they felt like unanswerable conundrums when one attempted to solve them for the first time. My two favorites immediately sprang to mind so now there was only one question: how evil did I want to be?

The Queen’s Dilemma was a classic of course; placing eight queens on a standard chess board without any of them capable of attacking any of the others was tricky, but do-able. Yet it had twelve entirely unique solutions and a grand total of ninety-two solutions when you accounted for board rotation. It was difficult, but not exactly mind breaking. Maybe if I required Severus to find more than one of the unique solutions it would work, but The Bishop Swap was more what I had in mind.

Severus had tried to make it sound like the Rubik's cube had given him no trouble whatsoever, but I could tell that was more a matter of pride than reality. If he really had no problem with the puzzle he wouldn’t have been nearly as shocked to hear I could solve it so quickly, nor would he have relaxed so much after I told him it took me hours to solve it the first time I tried.

Hidden complexity was the way to go. A simple looking puzzle is often harder than a hard looking puzzle simply because people underestimate them. Giving Severus a four by four chess board with two sets of four bishops and telling him all he had to do was switch them using their normal movement, the only limitation being he couldn’t move one color into an attack by the other was bound to earn me that little superior look he tended to make when he was convinced he was cleverer than you.

Yes, The Bishop Swap would be the puzzle. Now the only question was should I stick around to watch Severus get more and more frustrated and risk getting hexed if I so much as smiled, or should I just drop it off at the end of my visit and leave Severus to solve it in peace. As entertaining as watching Severus’ smug expression melt into frustration would be I quickly realized the second option was much safer, both for my person and the continuation of our puzzle nights.

Decision made I transfigured my chess set accordingly and set about preparing for round two of my attempt to befriend my former classmate. As I changed from my jogger, ah the benefits of working from home, to my proper company robes I wondered if I should push a bit further today or if I should keep my company casual and non-threatening for a while longer.

Severus was rather skittish in his own way and being too demanding too soon would likely drive him even further into his shell instead of drawing him out. Yet playing it safe and not challenging him could allow him to become bored which is nearly as dangerous to my hopes of befriending him as having him withdraw from me. Maybe playing it by ear would be best, if Severus even mentions another topic in passing I could attempt to direct the conversation away from the known safe topics and possibly learn more about him while not prying enough to be truly irritating.


	6. The Answer Was Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "This isn’t magic — it’s logic — a puzzle. A lot of the greatest wizards haven’t got an ounce of logic; they’d be stuck in here forever." What if Remus, who has being trying and failing to befriend Severus for several years, learned of Severus’ affinity for logic puzzles? What if after befriending him, he fell in love and decided that maybe the only way to Severus’ heart was through his brain?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: If you think any of these characters are mine please tell me what world you live in so I can move there posthaste! Also all of the puzzles in this story are real and actual logic puzzles that I have solved in various computer games with the obvious exception of the Rubik’s cube which I played in reality. None of the puzzles mentioned hereafter are my intellectual property and at the end I will give credit where credit is due for each in order of appearance.
> 
> Warnings/kinks: none yet unless mind games, both literal and metaphorical, count. Sneaky Remus, sneaky Severus, courtship, drama. Also I switch POV between the boys; hopefully it will be simple to tell whose head you’re in.

Friday finally arrived and I found myself looking forward to the end of the school day for an entirely different reason than the norm. Weekends had always been my favorite days; I finished up my marking Friday and then had two glorious, student-free days. Assuming of course that the little demons both in my house and out of it managed to behave themselves long enough for me to have some peace. This was, unfortunately, rare at best.

Suddenly I was looking _forward_ to being social with someone, during my precious time off no less, a condition I had only minimal experience with. I couldn’t help but wonder when Lupin would drop the other shoe by either attempting to make me the butt of his jokes or reveal his ulterior motive for engaging me in the first place.

I caught myself half hoping Lupin was in fact sincere, but I suppressed that desire viciously. No point in getting my hopes up over nothing, besides, tonight he would likely reveal his motive for seeking me out. The puzzle of his sudden gambit for my attention would be solved and I would never spend the evening challenging and being challenged by Lupin again because he would have received what he wanted and would not return.

Why did that thought bring disappointment instead of satisfaction?

Puzzled by my reaction, I cleaned up after my last class of the day with mixed emotions. I was far too open to Lupin not having an ulterior motive, I had decided to tentatively give him the benefit of the doubt for the moment, but only until I had more data on which to base a conclusion. Why did I want him to not be angling for something? It was the most likely scenario after all and my wishes should not enter into my reasoning at any time. I learned the hard way that is how bad decisions are made.

I walked to the Great Hall filled with an odd mixture of curiosity and dread. Would Lupin even be there? And even if he was, what was he after? Would he even tell me the truth if I asked him? Seeing Lupin already at the High Table did little to soothe my concerns.

I settled into my usual seat which just so happened to be next to the one Lupin had added to the usual number. I found myself watching him out of the corner of my eye throughout the meal. I couldn’t say what I thought I might catch him doing, we were at the Head Table in front of nearly a thousand students after all, but I was sure I’d know it if I saw it. I had thought myself circumspect, but judging by Lupin nearly catching me at it several times I suspect he realized I was watching him.

We did not speak much, though Lupin did seem quite pleased to visit with his _other_ former colleagues since I was not responding to his gambits as he seemed to wish. I’d almost convinced myself he’d stay behind when I left, but despite his obvious enjoyment of engaging _my_ colleagues in small talk he followed me back to my rooms with a polite farewell and nary a complaint.

We settled into our respective chairs and fell into an uncomfortable silence. On one hand the lack of immediate comradery I remembered from last week was disappointing, but on the other, the atmosphere of awkwardness would be much more likely to make Remus confess his motive than one of friendly banter. With this in mind I sought to intensify Remus’ discomfort.

“Well?” I snapped impatiently, the start my sudden question garnered from my guest nearly drew a smirk from me, but I controlled myself.

“I beg your pardon Severus; I seem to have missed your question.” Remus was positively twitchy with nerves. Good. This particular mystery would no doubt be solved quickly.

“What do you want from me?”

“I’m afraid I don’t follow you.”

“You sought me out very deliberately last week, spent hours trying to get into my good graces, insisted on coming to see me again and then sit there like a mute lump when you finally do. So I ask again, what do you want from me?”

Remus blinked bemusedly at me for a few seconds as if he wasn’t quite sure how to respond to my outburst of irritability before he smiled slightly at me in a way I was not accustomed to and could not place.

“Severus, have I stumped you?”

I scoffed at the very idea, “hardly.”

“All right, what do you _think_ I’m after then?”

“A favor of some sort no doubt, I would assume potion related as that is my primary area of expertise.”

At the dumbfounded look on his face I found myself continuing, “so what is it then? Have you some complaint about your potion? Or have you come seeking a solution to a more _personal_ problem?”

Lupin’s expression did something truly bizarre in response to that insinuation. I thought I detected guilt, but there was something else mixed in. Embarrassment perhaps? Denial? Suddenly a rueful smile broke across his face.

“I guess I _do_ want something from you after all. Here I was all prepared to deny it, but you are right in a twisted way.”

“You needn’t sound so surprised.”

“I’m not surprised you are right; I’m surprised it didn’t occur to me that it could be thought of that way.”

“Well?”

“Well what?”

“Are you going to share with the class or shall I guess?”

“You’ll enjoy guessing more than me telling you no doubt, so I choose that. Regardless, we haven’t tried to stump each other with puzzles yet and I do believe that was the point of my visit.”

“Was it? I was beginning to think the purpose was to annoy me with non-answers and non sequiturs.”

Lupin smiled at my half-hearted grumbling, “Merely an added bonus Severus. Shall we begin?”


	7. The Answer Was Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "This isn’t magic — it’s logic — a puzzle. A lot of the greatest wizards haven’t got an ounce of logic; they’d be stuck in here forever." What if Remus, who has being trying and failing to befriend Severus for several years, learned of Severus’ affinity for logic puzzles? What if after befriending him, he fell in love and decided that maybe the only way to Severus’ heart was through his brain?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: If you think any of these characters are mine please tell me what world you live in so I can move there posthaste! Also all of the puzzles in this story are real and actual logic puzzles that I have solved in various computer games with the obvious exception of the Rubik’s cube which I played in reality. None of the puzzles mentioned hereafter are my intellectual property and at the end I will give credit where credit is due for each in order of appearance. The painting mentioned is based on a character from a completely different game which is also not mine. I swiped his name, but I made up his "title" though the title is a clue. Bonus points if anyone guesses where I swiped it from! :D
> 
> Warnings/kinks: none yet unless mind games, both literal and metaphorical, count. Sneaky Remus, sneaky Severus, courtship, drama. Also I switch POV between the boys; hopefully it will be simple to tell whose head you’re in.

“If you insist on being difficult, Lupin, I will start.”

“Seems fair,” I responded magnanimously.

“‘The man who invented it, doesn't want it for himself. The man who bought it, doesn't need it for himself. The man who needs it, doesn't know it when he needs it.’ What is it?” Severus smirked to himself as he recounted his riddle; apparently he had decided to continue our game despite my earlier evasion.

My brow furrowed and I muttered the riddle to myself several times, eventually asking for Severus to repeat it for me. He did so and almost immediately my expression cleared as the answer presented itself to me.

“In a morbid mood tonight Severus? I would say the answer is a coffin.”

“After the day I had, you’d be less than cheerful as well.”

“Care to enlighten me?”

Severus waved the question off like it was nothing special before giving an off-hand answer. “The Ministry is meddling again. You’d think they would have learned better after their utter cock-up several years back, but if anything they are more inclined to stick their nose in than before.”

“Yes, well I think they were afraid of Dumbledore’s reaction if they pushed too far before. Minerva is trying her best I imagine, but they haven’t truly learned to fear her displeasure yet.”

“Exactly the point I tried to make at the last meeting. Apparently such a view is less than welcome from me.”

“She still blames you then?”

“No, I don’t think so. The problem is some of the others view any disagreement from me as an attempt to reclaim my position as Headmaster. Because I _truly_ miss the never ending headache that year gave me.”

“I can imagine you were given plenty of fodder to maintain an absolutely putrid mood triggered by the paperwork alone!” I smiled slightly, hoping against hope that Severus’ sarcasm was permission to infuse some humor into our talk. I panicked when I saw Severus’ expression freeze. Did I push too far too fast?

“You have _no_ idea! I once had to fill out twenty pages of paperwork to get an ancient water-damaged painting in the Dungeons fixed. I had to explain, in great detail, how a painting in the darkest, dankest part of this castle developed mold.” Severus wasn’t quite smiling, but his eyes seemed to dance with amusement and I swore the left corner of his mouth was twitching like it wanted to curl upwards.

“You’re joking!”

“I wish I was! Apparently reporting the location of the painting and the issue wasn’t sufficient for the paper-pushers, they needed to ask me twenty pages of questions to establish if a three thousand and fourty-seven year old painting of Christof the Bloody was damaged due to ‘gross negligence’ or ‘extreme old age’. Funnily enough I figured the answer out to that one before I even saw it.”

“Well you are clearly a genius of the highest order then! How else would you have ever worked that out on your own?”

Severus hmphed, but he sounded pleased. “Yes, well Minerva is welcome to that particular headache as far as I’m concerned.”

“Can’t say I blame you there. Shall I take my turn now?”

“You might as well.”

“‘Of all your possessions, I am the hardest to guard. If you have me, you will want to share me. If you share me, you no longer have me.’ What am I?”

Watching Severus try to solve my riddle was rather entertaining. He closed his eyes to help himself focus and I could almost see his thoughts flitting across his face as he pondered the riddle. I knew each time he thought he had the solution, only to realize it didn’t _quite_ fit the clues given. After a few minutes a triumphant gleam appeared in his newly opened eyes and I knew before he said anything he’d solved it.

“A secret Lupin? How appropriate!”

“It seemed fitting given the circumstances.”

“Indeed. I suppose that means you intend to try to keep yours after all.”

“Well if I do tell you, I won’t have it anymore, will I?”

“Apparently not. Ah, well I shall work it out sooner or later.”

“I don’t doubt that for a second Severus.”

“What do you make of this one? ‘I have holes throughout, from back to front and top to bottom to core. More nothing than something within, and yet I still hold water.’”

I will freely admit that one threw me for a while. A holey container with more nothing than something, but still holds water? What in the world does that? Severus was starting to smirk smugly at me by the time I had my epiphany.

“That is a good one! A sponge of course!”

“Thought I’d stumped you for a bit there.” Severus seemed both pleased and disappointed I’d solved his riddle. Not truly surprising, he always was rather competitive.

“You did, but eventually it occurred to me I was thinking too hard. Just for that here is yours: ‘It runs as it will, but never does it walk. There is a mouth to see, but never does it talk. A bed it surely owns, but never does it sleep. Possesses it a head, but not a one that weeps.’”

Apparently I chose my challenge well; Severus turned my riddle over in his mind for quite a while, his brow furrowed in thought. As I waited for him to discover the solution I took to watching him as he deliberated.

I’d never really watched Severus just for the sake of watching him before. Sure I’d looked at him during Order meetings and the like, but I had always watched him with a purpose; to defend myself or others from his remarks, to prepare for his next verbal assault on the current plan whether it was mine or not, to watch for his signal to indicate whether or not we could speak freely.

It was odd. I was the monster according to legend, yet Severus kept me on the defensive, acting as prey. Except now. I smiled to myself. I think I like Severus when he’s off-balance. He’s oddly approachable, like he can’t help but try to figure out what is going on around him. Severus looks almost vulnerable lost in thought.

I felt guilty as that thought occurred. I was hardly the first person to use his innate curiosity against him, Sirius and James immediately came to mind. I told myself it was different because I meant Severus no harm, I just wanted to be his friend, but doubt hovered regardless.

Was I truly any better?


	8. The Answer Was Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "This isn’t magic — it’s logic — a puzzle. A lot of the greatest wizards haven’t got an ounce of logic; they’d be stuck in here forever." What if Remus, who has being trying and failing to befriend Severus for several years, learned of Severus’ affinity for logic puzzles? What if after befriending him, he fell in love and decided that maybe the only way to Severus’ heart was through his brain?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: If you think any of these characters are mine please tell me what world you live in so I can move there posthaste! Also all of the puzzles in this story are real and actual logic puzzles that I have solved in various computer games with the obvious exception of the Rubik’s cube which I played in reality. None of the puzzles mentioned hereafter are my intellectual property and at the end I will give credit where credit is due for each in order of appearance.
> 
> Puzzle: The Bishop Swap originally came to my attention in the computer game "The Seventh Guest" though I suspect they didn't invent it. Should you wish to play the puzzle yourself you can find it here: (<http://www.pothoven.net/bishopPuzzle.html>) Note that it is actually solvable in 36 moves, but don't expect to manage that without a lot of practice and/or a walk-through for the puzzle. I'd love to hear how you do on the puzzle should you decide to give it a whirl!
> 
> Warnings/kinks: none yet unless mind games, both literal and metaphorical, count. Sneaky Remus, sneaky Severus, courtship, drama. Also I switch POV between the boys; hopefully it will be simple to tell whose head you’re in.

I freely admit Remus’ most recent challenge threw me for quite a while. What runs, but never walks, has a mouth, but doesn’t talk, has a bed but never sleeps and has a head, but never weeps? I pulled up answer after answer, but none seemed to fit perfectly. Finally I stumbled upon the solution, but as I turned my gaze on my companion I realized he was a million miles away, lost in his own head.

“Lupin?”

I realized he had that look again, the one I couldn’t quite seem to place. Where had I seen it before? Almost as if on cue, though I knew better as his focus was distant as if he was walking among dusty memories, his expression changed. The perplexing look was still present, but muted now as doubt, sorrow and guilt clouded his eyes.

“Lupin,” I said louder and more insistently, but to no avail.

There was a time I wanted nothing more than for Lupin to always wear that look in my presence and for years he did. Every single time he saw me, even when I did not turn to glare or snarl at him. Now I found that look made me wonder what thought troubled him so much. Usually I would have taken advantage of his inattention to work out why he kept looking at me like that and what it reminded me of, but I found I no longer enjoyed seeing sorrow and guilt in Lupin’s expression.

“REMUS!”

The shock of me using his given name finally broke through to him and he jumped as if he’d been dozing when I hollered for him from only a few feet away. The dumbfounded expression on his face was rather entertaining and I found it difficult not to smile. Apparently I had found a simple way to render Lupin speechless. I made note of it with the intent to use this new weapon sparingly so its effectiveness would not wane.

Finally my guest stopped gaping like a landed fish and spoke. “I’m sorry Severus; my mind seems to have wandered off for a minute there.”

“Clearly, do you want to hear my solution to your riddle or do you intend to stroll down memory lane for the rest of the evening?”

“By all means continue, I don’t doubt you’ve solved it and I’d much rather not dwell on the past if I can avoid it.”

I nodded; I understood that sentiment all too well. “A river, of course.” It was odd, I let such an excellent gambit pass unthinkingly without a sharp comment about Remus’ tendency to take the ‘ignore it and it will go away’ route without even considering making it. Was I so desperate for cordial company these days that I was curbing my infamous tongue without thinking?

“Of course.” Remus echoed, smiling at me, seemingly pleased by my success. He probably believed all those things people said about good-sportsmanship. Gryffindors are very odd at times.

“Shall we continue, or was your mind’s wandering a less than subtle hint that you are done for the evening?”

“Subtle? Me?” Remus asked, his eyes reflecting the fire as he gently teased me. The fire light really did remarkable things to his eyes…

“Hardly, that was my point.” Surprise at the direction of my own thoughts made my tone snap more than I intended, but it didn’t seem to discourage Remus any.

“Please continue Severus, it isn’t too unbearably late yet,” Remus smiled in a way I hadn’t seen for years but still remembered clearly, it was what I had privately dubbed his plotting smile. I used to only see it when he was coming up with a particularly inspired plan during the Order brainstorming meetings when we were discussing tactics. I wondered what he thought he was up to now.

“Hmph, well if you think you can manage to pay attention… ‘The life I lead is mere hours or less, I serve all my time by being consumed. I am quickest when thin, slowest when fat, and wind is the bane of the gift that I bring.’ What am I?”

Remus settled in to puzzle out my riddle and I mentally pated myself on the back for so handily distracting him. Not only was he no longer fretting over – well, whatever he had been, but he also didn’t notice my unexpected concern. What had come over me?

We had gotten on before when we had a common goal of course, I can play nice when I feel it to be in my best interests, but deliberately snapping Lupin out of dark thoughts for no reason other than him looking distressed bothered me was new. What did I care if Remus was feeling guilty? It had never bothered me before unless I thought his guilt was directly related to me.

I could have just as easily grabbed my book and read until he either snapped out of it himself or I decided to stop humoring his mind’s wanderings and kicked him out. Why didn’t I? My circling thoughts were interrupted by my companion’s exclamation of success. I put my troubling thoughts away, eager for an excuse to ignore them for the moment.

“Ah ha!” Remus said, grinning triumphantly at me, “A candle! It must be!”

“Indeed it is.”

The clock on my mantle chimed the hour. Nine chimes, ten, eleven, twelve. Where did the time go?

“It is getting late, I should take my leave.”

“You still owe me a challenge, Lupin,” I was apparently more tired than I had previously thought, because I _know_ I did not mean to say that aloud.

“You are right, Severus, I do.”

“Well?”

“Would you prefer a physical puzzle or another riddle?”

“Do you have one to hand?”

“A physical puzzle? I do actually. I am quite fond of it; I still play it every so often.”

It was past midnight and while I did not have classes or an early morning patrol tomorrow I _did_ want to turn in for the night sooner rather than later. Noticing my hesitation and my glance at the clock on my mantle Remus continued.

“I can leave it with you until next week if you want, there is no rush. Besides, I’m tired enough that I doubt I’d come up with much of a challenge for you as far as riddles go.”

“Very well then. Explain your challenge and we will call it a night.” Once again Lupin had slipped in an aside about returning and I permitted it without challenging the assumption. Curious, I usually automatically objected to people imposing themselves into my rare and thus valuable free time.

“It is quite simple,” Remus said, pulling a folded, four by five square chess board from a pocket in his robe, distracting me from my thoughts once again, “All you have to do is get the black and white bishops to swap places.” He said placing the four white bishops on one side, and the four black on the other. “However,” Lupin continued with a trace of a smile lurking in his eyes, “they cannot be moved in such a manner as to allow one side to attack the other.”

“And this puzzle,” I drawled, showing precisely how unimpressed I was with his challenge, “is difficult enough that you find yourself engaged with it even after having solved it several times before?”

“Oh yes, it gave me quite the headache the first time I encountered it, still does on occasion actually.” Lupin paused to smile almost shyly before continuing, “I’m told it is possible to solve it in approximately forty moves, but I’ve never managed myself. I think my personal record was sixty-eight, usually I’m pleased if I solve it in eighty on my first run through in a while.”

“Hmm,” I didn’t see how such a simple puzzle could possibly be so challenging. It had significantly fewer variables than the colorful cube from before, so it stands to reason that it would be significantly simpler to solve.

“It is more complicated than you might think Severus. I underestimated it my first time through and wound up undoing all my progress by getting all of the pieces back to their original positions.” Lupin smiled self-deprecatingly and continued, “I thought I’d finally figured out the trick and even began congratulating myself on another solved puzzle before I realized what I’d actually done.”

I could all too easily picture Remus’ face in such a scenario. I remembered a potions class when we were fifth years. For once his friends had chosen to prank him instead of me. They had swapped his pure water infused with moonlight for pure water infused with sunlight. An easy enough prank as they were, for all intents and purposes, identical. All they had to do was swap the labels.

Remus had never been an especially noteworthy potioneer, but he almost never failed to produce an adequate potion. Thus when he completed that day’s assignment and it looked exactly as it should according to the book Lupin had cheerfully prepared to bottle it only to have the potion react to the oaken ladle and release an impressive, though luckily harmless, cloud of purple smoke into his face. His expression of utter dismay and confusion as the smoke cleared had been riotously funny to his classmates at the time, but now I found the recalled expression drew forth an oddly protective and fond feeling in addition to the remembered amusement.

Realizing I’d been staring at him as I wandered through the dusty library of my memories I looked away, hoping I hadn’t stared like an idiot long enough for Lupin to notice. Had my inexplicable bout of nostalgia resulted in an unguarded moment? Usually I was far too cautious to let anything show that I did not intend to, but I could feel myself relaxing around Lupin despite all logic. Reckless behavior on my part, especially since he had flat-out admitted to having an agenda of his own that he refused to expound upon.

“In that case I shall be wary of your puzzle, Lupin.”

My guest sat there looking at me. I clearly saw signs he was gathering his courage to say something. Maybe he would admit his agenda tonight after all and the puzzle of his behavior would be solved. I found my feelings oddly mixed when I considered that scenario. Did I _really_ want to know what had driven him to seek me out? I was no longer sure.

“Would it _really_ kill you to use my name?” Remus rushed to say as if afraid his courage would fail him if he spoke at a normal speed.

“Obviously not,” I replied with a smirk to hide my surprise at the question turned challenge. After all, I had used his name, rather loudly even, once tonight already. He couldn’t have possibly missed my doing so considering how high he’d jumped in response.

“Not just to startle me out of my thoughts if you please Severus.” Remus smiled back at me, almost playfully. Precisely _what_ he was playing at I’ve no idea, there were too many options rushing through my mind.

“Why?”

“Do I have to have a reason?”

“It would certainly help your case.”

“If you insist.” Remus nodded obligingly and presented his answer. It was not what I expected. “You know, of course, that names have power according to various cultures including our own when it comes to the particularly nasty creatures we sometimes find ourselves faced with. My reason springs from that. The name ‘Lupin’ dredges up memories for you that I would like us to be able to move passed, eventually.”

“To what end?”

“As incomprehensible as you seem to find the idea, Severus, I really would like to be counted amongst your friends.”  



	9. The Answer Was Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "This isn’t magic — it’s logic — a puzzle. A lot of the greatest wizards haven’t got an ounce of logic; they’d be stuck in here forever." What if Remus, who has being trying and failing to befriend Severus for several years, learned of Severus’ affinity for logic puzzles? What if after befriending him, he fell in love and decided that maybe the only way to Severus’ heart was through his brain?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: If you think any of these characters are mine please tell me what world you live in so I can move there posthaste! Also all of the puzzles in this story are real and actual logic puzzles that I have solved in various computer games with the obvious exception of the Rubik’s cube which I played in reality. None of the puzzles mentioned hereafter are my intellectual property and at the end I will give credit where credit is due for each in order of appearance.
> 
> Puzzle: The Bishop Swap originally came to my attention in the computer game "The Seventh Guest" though I suspect they didn't invent it. Should you wish to play the puzzle yourself you can find it here: (<http://www.pothoven.net/bishopPuzzle.html>) Note that it is actually solvable in 36 moves, but don't expect to manage that without a lot of practice and/or a walk-through for the puzzle. I'd love to hear how you do on the puzzle should you decide to give it a whirl!
> 
> Warnings/kinks: none yet unless mind games, both literal and metaphorical, count. Sneaky Remus, sneaky Severus, courtship, drama. Also I switch POV between the boys; hopefully it will be simple to tell whose head you’re in.

_**Previously:** “As incomprehensible as you seem to find the idea, Severus, I really would like to be counted amongst your friends.”_

Dear, sweet Merlin, I do believe I broke Severus.

He just sat there, staring at me like I started spouting Mermish at him. I shouldn’t have pushed, I see that now. It was too much, too soon and now he’s going to, eventually, regain the plot and kick me out with orders to never so much as speak to him again.

“You want to be _friends_?!”

And so it begins. There will be dark mutterings about the presumptuousness of Gryffindors-

“Is that what all this was about?!”

-thinking they can just waltz into people’s lives, start making demands and everyone will fall over themselves to fulfill their every whim-

Severus started shaking.

-it is more than any sane person - wait a second...

Severus was _laughing_!

I tried to figure out how we had gotten from him being enraged that I’d dare express any desire to befriend him to him laughing incredulously, almost like he couldn’t help himself, and failed utterly. Apparently, I had missed the joke.

“You... you have... no idea-” Severus panted out between what looked like completely involuntary spasms of laughter, “-and I thought...!” He trailed off into more rusty sounding laughter for a time, slowly calming back down with only occasional peals escaping before he stopped entirely, smirking at me.

“I’m afraid I don’t follow.”

“You would if our positions were switched,” Severus replied cryptically, but kindly.

“So you aren’t mad?” I asked, still somewhat shocked by his response to a statement I’d expected to be less than welcome at best. Admittedly not the brightest reaction, but it _did_ handily redirect Severus to the issue at hand.

“Should I be mad that you want me to call you by name because you appear to enjoy my company and wish to continue to do so?” Severus looked mildly puzzled by my question. Usually I would have expected a certain amount of condescension or at least teasing to accompany such a sentence, yet both were absent. Severus seemed every bit as unsure as I in that moment.

“No?” My confusion colored my tone which just seemed to entertain Severus more, though he managed not to break into a new bout of laughing.

“Is that a statement or a question?” Severus smirked at me.

“A statement, but I feel like I missed something.”

“That is because you did.” Did he _really_ need to sound so smug about it?

“Do you care to share what the dim-witted Gryffindor missed this time?”

“Must I? You are rather entertaining when you are all discombobulated...” Severus trailed off teasingly before continuing, “Very well. You would understand perfectly if you had the slightest inkling of the various unsavory scenarios I’d concocted in my, apparently, over-active imagination to explain _why_ you’d sought me out.”

“Oh.”

“Exactly.”

An oddly comfortable silence fell that we both were unwilling to break until the clock chimed, reminding us of the late hour.

“I should head home,” I offered weakly. I didn’t really want to go, even though we were both tired.

“You should.” Severus sounded as enthusiastic about that as I was.

“I hope you like the puzzle, it really is a favorite of mine.”

“I’m sure it shall be entertaining.”

I walked to the door, before turning to say, “sleep well, Severus.”

“Good night,” Severus said. Before the door closed I was nearly certain I heard him add my first name tentatively to his reply.

*****

Well, I was right after all. Lup-Remus couldn’t keep his secret for more than two visits. Though it was a toss up which would be more fun to untangle: Remus’ puzzle or the man himself. I’d gotten so used to ignoring him it was odd not to now. Yet each time I looked, really looked, I discovered a new piece of the puzzle.

Remus said he wanted to be friends. Was that _really_ what all this was about? It struck me as a suitably Gryffindorish motivation, yet I wasn’t fully convinced it was the whole truth. Surely even the resident toothless werewolf wasn’t so desperate for friends that he didn’t have any better option than me.

As I turned things over in my head I began playing with Remus’ puzzle. With each move of the eight pieces across the board I began to realize the ingenious nature of this particular puzzle. It made you fight yourself to achieve your goal every step of the way. I was constantly moving one piece backwards for a chance, however slim, to progress another forwards in a rather elaborate dance. Deceptively challenging; I like it.

The more I turned Remus’ situation and assertion over in my mind the more plausible it became. The fact of the matter was there just weren’t many members of our generation that wasn’t dead or in prison for life. Most of those that fell in neither catagory had left to try and out-run the memories of the war. Not that running would do them any good; it is very hard to run from yourself.

Maybe Remus just wanted to not be stuck in the mentor role with his former students or the mentored role with his former teachers. I could understand that. Now that Potter and the rest of his age-mates were adults, and wasn’t _that_ an unsettling thought, they were substantially less irritating. Though how much that was a factor of their age and how much was I wasn’t stuck dealing with them day in and day out was debatable. My colleagues were also much warmer towards me now that I wasn’t forced to distance myself and they no longer had reason to doubt me. Still, one did wish for conversation with people their own age at times.

For the moment it was the best explanation for Remus’ behavior I had, and right from the wolf’s own snout no less, so it was the explanation I was going with. I wouldn’t rule out any additional motivating factors just yet, but the one solution presented was plausible at least.

Realizing I was working more against myself than progressing through Remus’ puzzle, both the literal one and the metaphoric one, I decided it was time for bed. Both would be solved to my satisfaction in time, I just needed to put forth the time and the energy. I smirked to myself as my head hit my pillow. Remus wouldn’t know what hit him.  



	10. The Answer Was Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "This isn’t magic — it’s logic — a puzzle. A lot of the greatest wizards haven’t got an ounce of logic; they’d be stuck in here forever." What if Remus, who has being trying and failing to befriend Severus for several years, learned of Severus’ affinity for logic puzzles? What if after befriending him, he fell in love and decided that maybe the only way to Severus’ heart was through his brain?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: If you think any of these characters are mine please tell me what world you live in so I can move there posthaste! Also all of the puzzles in this story are real and actual logic puzzles that I have solved in various computer games with the obvious exception of the Rubik’s cube which I played in reality. None of the puzzles mentioned hereafter are my intellectual property and at the end I will give credit where credit is due for each in order of appearance.
> 
> Warnings/kinks: none yet unless mind games, both literal and metaphorical, count. Sneaky Remus, sneaky Severus, courtship, drama. Also I switch POV between the boys; hopefully it will be simple to tell whose head you’re in. 
> 
> AN: **This installment features a brief foray into the perspective of Minerva. Why? A: Minerva is _awesome_ , B: Severus required the application of a clue-by-four and Minerva kindly volunteered to wield it and C: Because I _could_! :D**

Something was going on with Severus.

I’d known him since he was a scraggly little boy with hand-me-down robes and an unfortunately large, but at that point unbroken, nose that he never quite managed to grow into, poor boy. I wasn’t very close to him then, it wasn’t proper for teachers to show too much favoritism after all, especially not if one is a head of house. My little Gryffindors never took well to me paying too much attention to students in other houses, but that minor jealousy was magnified ten-fold when the child was a Slytherin.

Once he became a colleague we were significantly closer. We had to be, not presenting a united front to the students would have been disastrous. I would even go as far as to say we got along well. We shared a dry, subtle humor that others didn’t always appreciate. When I was told he was a traitor I was shocked, unlike so many members of the Order. Looking back the only other person who was equally shocked and, like myself, insisted that there had to be some kind of misunderstanding was Remus.

I knew Severus and something was going on between him and Remus. He had taken to being nearly cheerful, well, by his standards anyway. He frequently had a tiny smirk playing around the left corner on his mouth like he couldn’t help it and, quite possibly, was entirely unaware of its presence. It had to be somehow related to Remus and his visits as the mood improvement started then, it only started after they began meeting several months ago, though the smirk was relatively new.

No one ever saw Remus leave but the portraits and they all agreed that the hour was always positively indecent when he finally did. Remus’ visits ran like clockwork, every Friday he arrived for dinner and chatted quite merrily with all who were amicable until Severus finished eating. Without fail Remus would follow even though Severus rarely said a word to him aside from a brief, slightly teasing comment in greeting such as, “back again are you?” or “My first mistake was feeding you wasn’t it? I’ll never be shot of you now.” Always said with a little smile I hadn’t seen for years curling his lips.

It was almost fond.

Deciding that the only way to confirm my suspicions was to talk to Severus on the topic I asked him to stay after the next staff meeting. It wasn’t an unprecedented request, though usually such a request was due to concern about a particular student, so Severus neither objected nor looked particularly surprised.

After the others had left we made ourselves comfortable and I set about acquiring information from Severus in the only way I knew how; by pretending I already knew what was going on.

“So, I understand congratulations are in order.” That got his attention. On anyone else that expression would merely be attentive, but on Severus it was shock.

“For what?” He managed to keep his voice even, but I could see he was nervous. No matter how good he was at fooling most people I could still read him when I tried.

“Come now Severus, there is no need to be coy.” Why was it so fun to tease him? I’d never quite worked it out. Maybe it was because he managed to appear so in control most of the time. Perhaps it made my inner feline feel the need to ruffle his fur.

“I have no idea what you are talking about.” And there it is, the slight twitch his shoulders give when he wants to squirm guiltily but refuses to let himself.

“Of course you don’t, Severus, it isn’t like you’ve been wandering around for well over a month now smirking to yourself, nor has there been any change in the number of students that insist you are clearly evil despite what Harry Potter has to say on the subject.” I watched him carefully even as I smirked and teased. Severus _is_ great fun to nettle, but doing so isn’t known for being perfectly safe.

“What do you expect me to say, Minerva?”

“I don’t _expect_ you to say anything, though I would like to know that you are happy with Remus.”

“I-” Severus cut himself off and for a moment I saw half a dozen emotions flit across his face, too quickly to identify with any real confidence. He seemed to struggle with a decision for a few beats before he answered, “I do enjoy his company.”

“I’m glad, Severus, there is no reason for you to not find your own happiness now that things have settled some. Now,” I said standing up to signal an end to our talk, “you tell that man of yours that if he hurts you, Gryffindor or not, I’ll not only help you curse him within an inch of his life, but I’ll help you hide the evidence.”

Severus smirked rather conspiratorially at me before replying, “I imagine he’d be more afraid of your displeasure than mine in such a scenario, Minerva.”

“Only if he’s not as bright as I always thought he was; if he’s smart he’d run from both of us.” With a final exchange of amused looks we parted company; Severus to his dungeons and me to my tower, much reassured.

*****

I’ve gotten complacent. It is the only explanation that makes sense. I allowed myself to live day to day as I haven’t since I was in school as opposed to viewing absolutely every action and reaction through the lens of long term goals. In a way I am both grateful and furious that Minerva pointed it out to me.

Grateful because a Slytherin that isn’t self-aware is asking to be taken advantage of, yet I was much happier floating along, oblivious to my own feelings. More importantly how they had changed regarding a certain werewolf. Knowing about them made them almost painfully obvious as I re-assessed my recent behavior.

I was in a better mood for no good reason, I had lead my students still firmly, but more gently than before, enough so that they noticed and were bewildered enough to draw Minerva’s attention to the change in my behavior. Merlin, I hope I wasn’t _literally_ wandering around with a pleased smirk on my face as Minerva had claimed!

What should I do about all of this? Clearly I was already attached to Remus, extricating myself at this point would be, well, messy. Despite my misgivings I didn’t want to cut ties with him even though that was likely the best thing I could do for myself. I enjoyed his company, rather more than I had ever guessed I might, and I wanted to continue to do so.

Would that be an option though? Was it a good idea to stay friendly with him now that I realized that wasn’t all I wished for? Would keeping my peace save me from pain or would it merely grant me a front and center view when Remus eventually took a lover?


	11. The Answer Was Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "This isn’t magic — it’s logic — a puzzle. A lot of the greatest wizards haven’t got an ounce of logic; they’d be stuck in here forever." What if Remus, who has being trying and failing to befriend Severus for several years, learned of Severus’ affinity for logic puzzles? What if after befriending him, he fell in love and decided that maybe the only way to Severus’ heart was through his brain?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: If you think any of these characters are mine please tell me what world you live in so I can move there posthaste! Also all of the puzzles in this story are real and actual logic puzzles that I have solved in various computer games with the obvious exception of the Rubik’s cube which I played in reality. None of the puzzles mentioned hereafter are my intellectual property and at the end I will give credit where credit is due for each in order of appearance.
> 
> Rating: pg-13 this part for some swearing? Nothing too scary, promise! :D
> 
> Warnings/kinks: none yet unless mind games, both literal and metaphorical, count. Sneaky Remus, sneaky Severus, courtship, drama. Also I switch POV between the boys; hopefully it will be simple to tell whose head you’re in. 
> 
> AN: **This installment features a brief foray into the perspective of Harry because Remus needed a wake up call too! :D**

Hermione agreed with me, Remus was acting a little, well, odd. Not in a bad way, if anything he seemed a lot happier than he had the entire time I had the chance to know him, but something was obviously going on. I first noticed several months ago, almost immediately after I suggested he seek out the company of other Order members since he seemed so lonely most of the time. I’d brushed it off at first thinking he was just enjoying being more social, but that impression quickly dissolved as I paid more attention.

The first thing that caught my attention was he was never home Friday evenings anymore. I’d discovered it by accident one day months ago when I tried to floo him. Thinking he’d just gone out for a walk or something I called back some time later and he still wasn’t home. Still thinking noting much of it I tried again an hour later and then an hour after that. No response. When I called the next day he answered and seemed fine so I brushed the incident off as Remus having a random night out somewhere until the next time I called him on a Friday with the same results.

The day of the week had more of an effect on the direction of my thoughts than anything else once I realized the pattern. Friday, _always_ Friday, the standard date night. I was a bit saddened Remus hadn’t told me he was seeing someone, but I knew he tended to be a bit of a private person. Maybe he was just waiting to get established in his relationship before he told me about his companion? I can understand that, Remus told me he hasn’t ever had much luck with romantic relationships. Mostly due to his curse, but now that just about everyone knows about that due to press coverage it can’t help with the beginning stages much.

I decided that since we were due for one of our visits anyway I would invite him over for supper. That way I could confirm my suspicions or at least reassure myself he was okay. I sent my new owl, Hermes so named by Hermione, with his invite. I knew he didn’t like to be called during the day when he was working even though he never complained about it.

Hermione was in the middle of an important project so she would not be coming by tonight. Probably just as well, Remus would be more likely to tell me what was going on if we were alone. We chatted for a while about the developments in our lives since we last saw each other and he still hadn’t told me. Patience has never been my strong suit, Hermione teases me about my impatience regularly, so I know she won’t be surprised that I only managed to talk to Remus for about fifteen minutes before I burst out with the question I was so intent on learning the answer to.

“Remus, are you seeing someone?”

“ _What_?!” Judging by the expression on his face that was one of the last things he expected me to say.

“Are you seeing someone?” I reiterated, clearly and calmly.

“Only if you know something I don’t.” Remus looked a bit confused, like he wasn’t quite sure how or why we were having this discussion.

“Oh.” I collapsed back into my chair, disappointed with his answer.

“Why do you ask?”

“Well, I flooed you on a Friday a few months ago and you weren’t home. I assumed you’d popped out for groceries or something so I waited an hour and called back and you still weren’t there. I did that half a dozen times and you were _never_ home. Since then when ever I call on a Friday evening you don’t answer. I just assumed you’d started seeing someone and you just hadn’t told me yet.”

“Actually I was gone because I took your advice.”

“You did?”

“You needn’t sound so shocked, Harry, it was good advice.”

“So who _have_ you been devoting your Friday evenings to then? No one’s said anything to me about it...” I frowned, I still didn’t take kindly to not knowing what was going on around me.

“I’ve been dinning at Hogwarts and visiting with my former colleagues.”

“Joining the Head-table for supper would hardly take hours at a time Remus.” I shot him a knowing look he once told me was pure Lily and I watched in surprise as he blushed in response.

“True, more accurately I visit with my colleagues during supper and then Severus and I chat for hours on end.”

“OH!” Suddenly the guilty blushing took on new meaning. Remus might not be technically seeing someone, but he wanted to be.

“I thought you were over your,” Remus paused, seemingly searching for an appropriate yet unoffensive word with which to continue that thought, before finally saying, “distaste for him judging by how voraciously you defended him after the war ended.”

“I am!” I insisted quickly..

“But?”

“Well, I um...” I dithered trying to figure out how to say what I wanted to without it sounding accusative. “I just didn’t realize that you...”

“What, Harry?” Remus looked genuinely puzzled, but surely he knew where I was going this this?

“I didn’t know you fancied him is all, I’m a bit surprised, I won’t deny it, but if he makes you happy, well...” I trailed off awkwardly, unsure how to complete that statement of support.

Remus stared at me blankly for a few seconds, seemingly shocked by my comment. He fidgeted a bit and eventually smiled like his thoughts were elsewhere, though clearly somewhere pleasant.

“I suppose I do fancy him.” Remus said quietly as if the thought had only just occurred to him.

We chatted a bit more and had supper, but I could tell his mind was elsewhere most of the evening. I was in no position to cast stones, after Hermione and I got together I know I was prone to letting my mind wander to her and the idea of there being an us. I could hardly begrudge Remus that.

*****

When did this happen and how did I miss it? I had thought I knew what was going on and that I was perfectly happy with things as they were, but as soon as Harry suggested that I liked Severus as more than a friend something clicked and now it is so _painfully obvious_ I feel like the idiot Severus teasingly accuses me of being for not having realized on my own ages ago. I’ve been courting Severus for _half a bloody year_ and I hadn’t even realized!

Oh Merlin, does he know?! I can’t decide which is worse; Severus knowing I was courting him and being impatient for me to get on with it already or him _not_ knowing and having to tell him myself. What if he knows and is ignoring my interest? My stomach sunk at the very thought. The possibility seemed more and more likely the longer I thought about it.

Severus had been a spy after all, reading people was a large part of it and surely I was an open book compared to Death Eaters. What to do, what to do... Damn it Harry, why couldn’t you have clued me into my feelings on a weekend so I would have time to process and work out a proper plan? I couldn’t be that lucky, no, Harry had to clue me in on a _Thursday_ so I had less than _twenty four hours_ to calm myself, choose an approach and implement my plan.

This would have to be handled carefully...


	12. The Answer Was Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "This isn’t magic — it’s logic — a puzzle. A lot of the greatest wizards haven’t got an ounce of logic; they’d be stuck in here forever." What if Remus, who has being trying and failing to befriend Severus for several years, learned of Severus’ affinity for logic puzzles? What if after befriending him, he fell in love and decided that maybe the only way to Severus’ heart was through his brain?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: If you think any of these characters are mine please tell me what world you live in so I can move there posthaste! Also all of the puzzles in this story are real and actual logic puzzles that I have solved in various computer games with the obvious exception of the Rubik’s cube which I played in reality. None of the puzzles mentioned hereafter are my intellectual property and at the end I will give credit where credit is due for each in order of appearance.
> 
> Rating: pg-13 this part for some swearing? Nothing too scary, promise!
> 
> Warnings/kinks: none yet unless mind games, both literal and metaphorical, count. Sneaky Remus, sneaky Severus, courtship, drama. Also I switch POV between the boys; hopefully it will be simple to tell whose head you’re in.

I considered myself to be a patient man. I was accustomed to plotting and waiting for my plans and manipulations to come into fruition, my work with Draco alone had taken nearly his entire lifetime to serve my purposes, yet I do not think I have ever been so impatient for _something_ to happen as I was the following Friday when I saw Remus.

Something had changed and it was nearly impossible to say what exactly. There was a tension in the air between us that I hadn’t noticed before, but Merlin be damned if I could figure out why. Was I aware of the tension because I’d had my face rubbed in my own feelings? If so was Remus just reacting to my own tension? Was there some reason for Remus to be tense? Oh Merlin, did he know?! Was the tension between us always there and I only noticed it now because I was terrified of giving my own feelings away and scaring Remus off permanently?

It was utterly bizarre. He’d met me in my rooms _before_ supper, hugged me as if that was a regular thing he always did, it isn’t, I would have remembered him doing so before, and then escorted me to supper. To say that I was baffled by this change would be putting it mildly. Afterwards we still talked and exchanged our riddles like nothing had changed, but everything _felt_ different. I was painfully aware of every move Remus made and every one he didn’t.

I still thoroughly enjoyed Remus’ company and time seemed to speed along pleasantly whenever I managed not to get caught up in my own thoughts. When I managed to shock a laugh out of Remus I felt something in my chest clench with conflicting emotions, joy at making him happy and pain from wishing I could just reach out to him without fear of his reaction.

I was reasonably certain Remus would not mock me even if I told him how I felt, he had shown himself to not be so cruel as that over the last half year or so we had been visiting. No, my fear was he would be _sympathetic_ , that he would let me down gently, telling me he was rather fond of me, but only thought of me as a friend. I could almost hear him now, trying to reassure me that if I wanted to he would be honored to continue to be my friend, but nothing more.

I could just as easily see what such a confession would do to our existing friendship. He would pull away, not to be cruel, never that, but to try to make things easier on me. Maybe he would make a point of seeing me less to give me space. It might not even be a bad idea to distance ourselves, but the very thought made me unreasonably sad.

Possibly not saying something was worse though. I couldn’t remember if Remus had always been so casually tactile with me before or not, but it was slowly driving me insane as I fought not to read what I wanted to be there into an innocent gesture of friendship. Nothing he did was inappropriate in any way, but he seemed to be constantly trying to bridge the gap between our chairs with a friendly pat to the arm when I’d solved another of his riddles and always he was leaning towards me as we talked, as if he wished we were closer too.

He even reached over once, almost unthinkingly, and brushed my hair back behind my ear with a soft smile and blushed, or perhaps it was a trick of the fire light, before saying something about how he couldn’t see my face with it in the way. His eyes seemed more intent than usual, like he was doing his darnedest to figure something out, in and of itself that wouldn’t be too worrying, but he was staring at me.

“What are you up to, Remus?” I didn’t quite manage to hide the mild suspicion that always sprang forth when those around me started acting oddly.

“Currently? I’m trying to figure something out.”

“Is that why you are acting so uncharacteristically?”

“I’m afraid so, yes.”

We sat in silence staring at each other for a time before I snapped out, “Well?”

“The approach is what I am attempting to plan out, Severus.”

“Is it truly important enough you think you need a plan to so much as broach the topic?”

Remus smiled at me, fondness and something else dancing in his eyes as he answered quietly, but confidently, “Definitely.”

“Are you accepting advice on this unspecified topic?”

“If you are so inclined to dispense advise I shall listen.” I couldn’t be sure, but I think there was a hint of something almost solemn in his voice. He wasn’t teasing me, rather it sounded strangely significant, almost as if he was swearing an oath to me, thought the words themselves did not suggest such a thing. Clearly he was trying to tell me something without saying it outright, but what?

“Is it safe to assume the direct approach is not a viable method for solving your conundrum?”

“Rather safe I would say, for a plethora for reasons.”

“Sometimes, the best way forward is not the easiest or most obvious path. If your plan isn’t coming together the way you want maybe it is your approach that is flawed.” Remus’ gaze focused on to my face, seeming to search for something. I don’t know what he saw, but he smiled radiantly at me and I couldn’t quite stop myself from letting a small smile escape in response.

“Severus, that was _exactly_ what I needed to hear. What would you say to me telling you what I’ve been trying to all evening in a non-traditional way?”

“‘This sounds like a loaded question,’ immediately followed by ‘are you really expecting an answer when I have no information to go off of?’”

“Right, stupid and rhetorical questions aren’t helpful. Let me try again,” Remus paused, eyes skipping from place to place for a few moments as if searching for an answer before locking eyes with me again and continuing, “Would you mind over much if I gave you a word puzzle to solve that would tell you what I’ve been trying to say?”


	13. The Answer Was Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "This isn’t magic — it’s logic — a puzzle. A lot of the greatest wizards haven’t got an ounce of logic; they’d be stuck in here forever." What if Remus, who has being trying and failing to befriend Severus for several years, learned of Severus’ affinity for logic puzzles? What if after befriending him, he fell in love and decided that maybe the only way to Severus’ heart was through his brain?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: If you think any of these characters are mine please tell me what world you live in so I can move there posthaste! Also all of the puzzles in this story are real and actual logic puzzles that I have solved in various computer games with the obvious exception of the Rubik’s cube which I played in reality. None of the puzzles mentioned hereafter are my intellectual property and at the end I will give credit where credit is due for each in order of appearance. This part also features a tweaking of an exchange of dialog from one of my favorite movies, I bet you all can spot it! :D
> 
> Warnings/kinks: none yet unless mind games, both literal and metaphorical, count. Sneaky Remus, sneaky Severus, courtship, drama. Also I switch POV between the boys; hopefully it will be simple to tell whose head you’re in.

I am quite possibly the most pathetic excuse for a Gryffindor in the history of my house. I spent most of Thursday night and all of Friday trying to figure out the least messy way to approach Severus with my epiphany. I considered every conceivable angle and his most likely reactions to each. A big, dramatic gesture would gain me scorn; Severus likes his privacy and would not thank me for making him into a spectacle public or otherwise. Likewise walking up to Severus and blurting it out like a fourth year with a crush would not endear me to him either. I even briefly considered walking up to him, saying, “I’m sorry”, to which he would doubtless say something to the effect of, “yes, you are,” followed immediately by, “what for this time?” To which I pictured kissing him in response. Not one of my better plans; even in my head it got me hexed.

Eventually I settled on the approach I deemed least likely to get me cursed and most likely to, I hoped, succeed. I was going to change my behavior from platonic friend to that of a man in the early stages of courtship. If Severus reacted badly, I would immediately stop and never broach the subject with him, but if he seemed to appreciate the change I would have my answer.

In the safety and privacy of my own home I’d thought my plan utterly fool-proof. Apparently I am just the fool to bungle it beyond all reason. I’d somehow forgotten that Severus isn’t the easiest person in the world to read. Oh, I could work out that he was more uptight than usual, even before I’d had the audacity to hug him briefly in greeting in his rooms before I escorted him to supper. I had thought that change alone might give me my answer but I was unsure how to read his reaction. Severus had seemed tense, but he also blushed very faintly, allowed the hug and permitted me to walk with him to supper.

Inconclusive but promising.

I was very careful not to be too forward, this required delicacy, not ham-handedness. I made a point of making it clear with both body language and eye contact he had my full attention. When he solved one of my riddles I clasped his shoulder in a fashion that could be brushed off as friendly, but I allowed my hand to linger there just a bit longer than was usual. He looked confused, not mad or encouraging, just baffled. I needed to be clearer, but not too blunt.

Severus got to talking, nervously perhaps? Regardless, his dry wit shocked me into laughing. I saw a conflicted look flicker across his face before he leaned forward, causing his hair to obscure his face. Unthinkingly, I reached out and gently brushed his hair back from his cheek and tucked it behind his ear. I blushed and smiled shyly when I realized how forward that was. “I can’t see your face when your hair does that.”

Severus blushed lightly again, but was it due to embarrassment over my actions or did he approve? I could not tell and I was quickly running out of ideas. Merlin, but I’m bad at this. Luckily Severus grew impatient with me and forced the issue, sparking a new plan. A riddle, what better way to confess my feelings considering they where what drew us together to begin with?

“If doing so will allow you to break your fixation on your issue then yes, a riddle is acceptable.”

“Glad to hear it.” How to handle this? I wanted to avoid making Severus feel awkward and not being hexed would be nice. Maybe this would be better handled if I left after giving Severus my riddle? Then he could process the solution without me hovering and if he reacted poorly I’d have a better chance of seeing it coming. “This riddle comes with conditions.”

“Does it? Why would I agree to that?”

“Because you are curious what I’m up to now.” I smiled winningly at Severus, I might not be able to read him like a book, but I was very familiar with his ‘I’m curious but trying to pretend I’m not’ posturing. “Besides,” I continued, “they shan’t be to onerous, I promise.”

Severus looked rather skeptical so I held up my wand-hand as though being sworn in as a witness, “I swear on my honor as a wizard and a Gryffindor.”

Severus snorted lightly in response, “No good, I’ve known too many Gryffindors.” Months ago I would have only heard the words and accepted them at face value. Now I was much more familiar with Severus’ sense of humor. Numerous little tells he no longer bothered to hide from me told me clearly that I was being teased, ever so mildly, by my friend.

“How about my word as someone who cares for you then?” I offered tentatively; maybe that comment would tip him off and the riddle would be rendered unnecessary. I waited for the dawning comprehension I was sure would spread across that beloved face in vain. Instead I saw more confusion and maybe the briefest flicker of what looked like pain before he responded.

“That will have to do I suppose.”

“As you wish Severus; I don’t suppose you have a faerie stone handy?” He wordlessly handed me one from one of his many pockets in answer. The stone was striking, small and irregular with a hue reminiscent of rain laden clouds. It was approximately half the width of my palm and vaguely oblong with a hole the diameter of my little finger angling though it. I clutched it while chanting a charm of truth. I suspected Severus would accept nothing else to confirm his solution to this riddle. Then I handed the small stone back to its owner with a smile. “Grab some parchment, Severus, this is a longer word puzzle.”

“The conditions Remus?” Severus prompted, impatiently.

“Of course. I will give you the riddle and then take my leave of you for tonight. Tomorrow evening I will be at Circe’s Cauldron for supper, if you find your solution acceptable...” I trailed off awkwardly before trying again, “if you are willing I would like you to join me there to talk.”

“Is that all?”

“It is.”

He looked at me as if attempting to dissect my motive merely with his eyes. Despite my desire to look away I met his gaze firmly trying to silently convey my certainty.

Severus finally broke our staring match, “Very well,” he settled behind his desk with a quill and a piece of parchment before nodding for me to begin. I intoned this final and most important riddle from memory.

“My first is foremost legally,  
My second circles outwardly,  
My third leads all in victory,  
My fourth twice ends a nominee,  
This hole is this gate’s only key.”

I took the liberty of confirming he had transcribed the riddle accurately which, of course, he had and decided it was time to take my leave.

“Remember Severus, supper at Circe’s Cauldron tomorrow of you are willing to accept the answer to this riddle.” I smiled at him one last time, I suspect it was rather bittersweet, before saying what might be my last word to him, “Farewell.” With that I swept from his rooms knowing it may be the last time I was ever allowed in them.


	14. The Answer Was Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "This isn’t magic — it’s logic — a puzzle. A lot of the greatest wizards haven’t got an ounce of logic; they’d be stuck in here forever." What if Remus, who has being trying and failing to befriend Severus for several years, learned of Severus’ affinity for logic puzzles? What if after befriending him, he fell in love and decided that maybe the only way to Severus’ heart was through his brain?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: If you think any of these characters are mine please tell me what world you live in so I can move there posthaste! Also all of the puzzles in this story are real and actual logic puzzles that I have solved in various computer games with the obvious exception of the Rubik’s cube which I played in reality. 
> 
> Warnings/kinks: none yet unless mind games, both literal and metaphorical, count. Sneaky Remus, sneaky Severus, courtship, drama. Also I switch POV between the boys; hopefully it will be simple to tell whose head you’re in.

Did Remus truly just issue me an ultimatum? A politely worded one to be fair, but a demand all the same. Interesting, apparently the wolf grew a spine when I wasn’t paying attention. Just when I think I’ve finally got him worked out he shows another side of himself to me.

I wonder what he deemed so important as to upset the comfortable status quo we had developed over the last several months. Why did he not feel he could just tell me what was wrong? I had thought we had grown quite close, but was I seeing a closeness that wasn’t truly there? I hoped not, Remus has become - dear to me. A confidant and companion that I had greatly enjoyed the company of much more than I would have ever supposed.

Remus came to me like clockwork and asked nothing from me aside from riddles, company and something to drink as we whiled away the hours. We both clearly benefited from our visits and I knew I still looked forward to them in an unseemly fashion. What had changed?

What could possibly motivate him to change the balance when everything had been going so well? I looked at the riddle on my desk. It was the answer no doubt, but did I really want to know? Something told me that knowing would change things undeniably regardless of my reaction.

Remus would never act quite the same now that he knew I had the key to his secret. Would he be more or less guarded with me once I knew? Would solving this riddle of his secret destroy our camaraderie or strengthen it?

Remus’ visits had become quite the subject of gossip among the staff though they had the decency to keep their assumptions to themselves. The students however had several hypotheses I had overheard. It seemed the most popular angle was I had blackmailed Remus into coming and was doing unspeakable things to him which differed between the criminal and the carnal depending on the whisperer. Absolute rot, while I knew Remus shared my preference for males he had exhibited no such preference for _me_ despite my own wishes to the contrary.

Speculation was pointless when I had the key to my riddle in front of me, if only I would reach out and claim it. I settled down to my riddle, intent on solving it before I went to bed so thoughts of Remus and his conundrum would not interrupt my sleep. Unfortunately, deciding to solve Remus’ puzzle was much easier than actually doing so.

I read the puzzle to myself several times. It was very poetic in form, that could be important, but its meaning remained clear as mud. Unlike most riddles which listed attributes of something in an accurate yet misleading way this riddle’s clues seemed completely unrelated.

Deciding I was looking at it from the wrong angle I began replacing words with their synonyms thinking that might cast some light on its meaning, but no luck. I tried reading it metaphorically, switching the lines around, crossing out repeating letters, I even tried various code breaking techniques I had worked with during my time as a spy checking my solutions with the enchanted faerie stone each time.

Nothing.

Finally I surrendered. I was tired, it was late and I had a migraine. Since we always met on Friday evenings, and hadn’t Minerva smirked when she mentioned in passing during lunch today that I was looking particularly nice so it must be date night with Remus, I would have plenty of time to work out the solution in the morning.

I had a fitful night’s sleep. When I dreamt I heard and saw Remus. His voice serenaded me with his riddle over and over again as if trying to tell me something desperately important, his eyes pleading with me for understanding as he reached towards me. I awoke with the fleeting feeling that I’d fallen in my blind pursuit of both Remus and his answer.

I ate my breakfast absentmindedly as I looked over the riddle again. Clearly I was doing something wrong. Maybe I was over-thinking things? That tended to be my biggest problem with some of the riddles Remus had challenged me with in the past. Deciding that was the most likely issue I re-read the poetic riddle aloud to myself, after all, poems are not intended to be read, they are meant to be spoken.

“My first is foremost legally,  
My second circles outwardly,  
My third leads all in victory,  
My fourth twice ends a nominee,  
This hole is this gate’s only key.”

The first and third lines directly claimed to be foremost or leading so first, but first of what? The second made no claim of placement what so ever but the forth put itself at the end, but the end of what? Was it merely the final clue as it’s placement in the riddle suggested or was it more than that?

Placement was declared openly in three out of the five lines so it must be important, yet how could the first and third lines both be the beginning? I decided to ignore the second clue and the final line for the moment, intrigued by this new theory which seemed much more plausible than any of my previous mental gymnastics.

In the end it was the forth clue that finally illuminated the solution for me. “Twice ends a nominee”, and what ends a nominee twice class? The letter “e” of course! Working with this new template suddenly the puzzle unraveled into coherency before my eyes.

The first letter of the answer was the “foremost” letter of legally, so “l”, the second letter of the answer was the first letter of outwardly which, as the riddle stated “circled”, so “o”, the third letter of the answer was the “leads all” of victory, so “v” and the final letter was the “twice ends” of nominee, or “e”!

The answer was _“love”_.

I stared blankly at my answer for an unknown period of time. It couldn’t be right. It just couldn’t! I must have made an error of some kind! If my answer was right then Remus wanted… and clearly anyone with eyes wouldn’t be interested in me let alone in love!

I tried to find a hole in the logic leading me to my solution, but all of the riddle save the last line was accounted for, though I suppose one could make an argument for a lack of love being a hole which would act like a key to one’s heart if the gate was looked at as a metaphor... The stone! I was getting myself all worked up over nothing, for all I knew my answer was wrong. I fished the enchanted stone out of my pocket and peered though it only to find that my answer shimmered smugly in my enchanted vision.

It was correct.


	15. The Answer Was Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "This isn’t magic — it’s logic — a puzzle. A lot of the greatest wizards haven’t got an ounce of logic; they’d be stuck in here forever." What if Remus, who has being trying and failing to befriend Severus for several years, learned of Severus’ affinity for logic puzzles? What if after befriending him, he fell in love and decided that maybe the only way to Severus’ heart was through his brain?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: If you think any of these characters are mine please tell me what world you live in so I can move there posthaste! Also all of the puzzles in this story are real and actual logic puzzles that I have solved in various computer games with the obvious exception of the Rubik’s cube which I played in reality. None of the puzzles mentioned hereafter are my intellectual property and at the end I will give credit where credit is due for each in order of appearance.
> 
> Warnings/kinks: none yet unless mind games, both literal and metaphorical, count. Sneaky Remus, sneaky Severus, courtship, drama. Also I switch POV between the boys; hopefully it will be simple to tell whose head you’re in.

I was glad I hadn’t given Severus the final riddle until nearly midnight on a Friday. That way I had less time to worry about his reaction and he would have nearly a whole day to focus on the riddle which would, ideally, limit the amount of time I could panic over Severus’ possible reactions. Ideally because I was currently staring at the ceiling over my bed in a tizzy; trying and completely failing to drop the subject from my mind. For all that I thought I had seen evidence of a possible attraction on Severus’ part during my unintentional intellectual courtship I feared I was guilty of wishful thinking.

The real question was how extreme would Severus’ reaction be? Should I show up for supper bristling with defensive spells in case Severus decided to make his displeasure known before hand? But if he had a neutral or, dare I even hope, positive reaction and found me in a booth slathered head to toe in defensive spells Severus might be offended. Having taken so long and worked so hard to finally acquire some modicum of Severus’ respect and trust I was unwilling to abuse it even to protect myself. If that doesn’t indicate how smitten I am then nothing does, I thought with a self-deprecating chuckle.

I gave up on sleep in the predawn hours and set about making myself useful as a distraction. Time, as it is wont to do when one wants it to pass quickly, slowed to a crawl. I had never gotten so much done in so little time. My little cottage in the country was cleaned from the rafters to the floorboards, cabinets were emptied and sorted, the garden was in better shape than when I’d planted it and various repairs were made around the house. It had been a bit of a fixer-upper when I bought it after the war, but I had instantly fallen in love with it. After several years of sporadic work when I had both the time and the money, which became much easier after I began writing, translating and editing for a living, my home was as beautiful as I had pictured.

Despite my attempts at pragmatism nervous and hopeful snitches insisted on fluttering around in my belly all afternoon. I couldn’t bring myself to eat anything after mid-day, hopefully my nerves would settle down when Severus showed. _IF_ Severus showed. Merlin, I was going to drive myself spare with waiting at this rate!

Finally evening was approaching after what seemed like a week of waiting. I knew I should not permit myself to hope too hard for a favorable reaction from Severus, after all just because he was single, gay and I thought he had been receptive to my advances did not mean I was his type. Despite all of my self-admonitions against getting my hopes too high I prepared for my dinner with the thoroughness of a teenager anticipating their first date.

Circe’s Cauldron was a nice enough restaurant, it wasn’t pretentious, but it was a far cry from pub fare. After informing the hostess on duty that I was expecting Severus to join me I was shown to a table for two lit by a solitary candle. Now all I had to do was wait.

*****

What should I do? Remus had handed me the last thing I expected in the form of his riddle and despite my own feelings on the subject I was at a loss. The idea of him being in love with me made me ridiculously happy and scared out of my wits all at once. The fear of screwing everything up somehow was nearly suffocating and yet I couldn’t quite believe I was so lucky.

Why _would_ he love me? We did get along surprisingly well, but that was hardly enough to warrant love. What else was a factor here? I knew I was attracted to him now that I wasn’t oblivious to my own feelings, but why would he find me attractive? As I stood before my mirror I couldn’t come up with a single reason, I was plain at best. Between my sallow skin, limp black hair, general scrawniness and a nose only a mother could love I didn’t see much to physically attract Remus to me.

I felt reasonably certain Remus wasn’t being cruel, I might have believed that if I hadn’t spent so much time with him as of late, but I knew that while he might tease me in a friendly manner he didn’t have his former friends’ malicious streak. So either he was sincere or he at least _believed_ he was. What if he wasn’t sincere though?

Remus is, and always has been, a very social person. He needs to have people around him to be happy. Is this just an extension of that need? Once the thought occurred I could not dismiss it as easily as I wished. Was I merely convenient or was I chosen specifically?

The thought sent a chill through me; it made far too much sense for my peace of mind. I was available, interested and Remus has always been susceptible to peer pressure. Did he realize my feelings for him and, even subconsciously, react to them?

How could I manage to tell the difference when Remus could quite possibly not know himself? I wanted to be wrong more than I could say, but a voice kept insisting that I had to _know_. But how?

The only way to know would be to test Remus. My conscious twinged at the thought, but I couldn't come up with a better solution. I didn’t want to manipulate Remus, I’d been manipulated too many times myself to be comfortable doing that to others, but the voice would not be silenced.

The hard part wouldn’t be testing Remus, I already had several ideas that should work handily, doing so in such a way so as not to blow my chances if it turned out that he was in fact sincere was the trick. I hoped he was, but if he wasn’t it would be better to establish that sooner rather than later. I knew I would be heart weary if I was right, but better that than heartbroken in a few months time should I find he was settling the hard way.

With a strange mixture of excitement and trepidation I meticulously prepared for supper. I would know the truth one way or the other soon and hopefully the answer would be a favorable one. Merlin knows I was due for a bit of luck.


	16. The Answer Was Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "This isn’t magic — it’s logic — a puzzle. A lot of the greatest wizards haven’t got an ounce of logic; they’d be stuck in here forever." What if Remus, who has being trying and failing to befriend Severus for several years, learned of Severus’ affinity for logic puzzles? What if after befriending him, he fell in love and decided that maybe the only way to Severus’ heart was through his brain?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: If you think any of these characters are mine please tell me what world you live in so I can move there posthaste! Also all of the puzzles in this story are real and actual logic puzzles that I have solved in various computer games with the obvious exception of the Rubik’s cube which I played in reality. None of the puzzles mentioned hereafter are my intellectual property and at the end I will give credit where credit is due for each in order of appearance.
> 
> Warnings/kinks: none yet unless mind games, both literal and metaphorical, count. Sneaky Remus, sneaky Severus, courtship, drama. Also I switch POV between the boys; hopefully it will be simple to tell whose head you’re in.

Time was impersonating a snail once again as I waited for Severus to show up for our date, he would be here any time surely, he always was a stickler for punctuality. My mind insisted on playing out every single conceivable way I could still make this crash and burn as I waited and there were many. All of the plausible ones had me so nervous even after he arrived that I made a fool out of myself, handily making Severus reconsider giving me a chance.

Merlin, I could see it now: Severus would show up, not especially sold on the idea of us, but willing to be persuaded, then I’d knock the wine into his lap and fumble for words like a tongue-tied teen talking to their first crush. With my luck I wouldn’t just fumble for things to talk about though, oh no, I’d either manage to bring up ill-advised topics and we would argue or I’d say something that would ruffle Severus’ proverbial feathers. I’d derail even the possibility of a relationship in under an hour.

Even that scenario was looking rosy at the moment as Severus was now twenty minutes late. Severus was _never_ late. Either he wasn’t coming at all or he was expressing his displeasure over me forcing the issue by being passively aggressive. I could live with him making a statement, I just wanted him to show. I would be ridiculously happy if he would just give me, _us_ , a chance.

I deliberately arrived half an hour early so if Severus was his ever punctual self I would be there waiting for him. We had built up a surprising rapport over the last six months considering our history, despite that I suspected he might question my sincerity. I couldn’t even truly blame him for it if he did doubt me. I wanted him to know I was serious about this, but I was unsure how to prove that to him.

The waiter had checked on me several times since I was seated over an hour ago now, offering drinks and smiling at me with greater amounts of sympathy each time he passed by. While I appreciated the sentiment, I internally cringed each time he did so, it drove home that Severus still wasn’t here and the longer I waited the less likely it seemed he would arrive.

I shouldn’t have pushed him. I should have waited longer to establish whether or not he was at all interested in me as more than a friend and if he didn’t seem to be I should have just kept my silence. Then at least we would still be friends, I suspected that Severus would not be comfortable around me now that he knew how I felt.

He must know by now, right? What if he somehow didn’t solve my riddle? What if something happened on his way over? What if-

The waiter was back again. I checked the time only to see that Severus was nearly an hour late now, I’d been here almost an hour and a half and ordered nothing. No wonder the waiter kept hovering, the poor man probably thought I’d hold down one of his tables and just stare into space all evening at this point. Only this time instead of asking me once again if there is anything he can get for me he slid into the seat across from me much to my surprise.

“He isn’t worth it you know,” The waiter offered bluntly, but with an undercurrent of empathy. My eyes snapped to him at that, confused and more than a bit insulted on Severus’ behalf.

“I’ll be the judge of that, thanks.” I had many flaws, but I didn’t ever take kindly to those I cared for being belittled.

He continued, leaning towards me, seemingly undaunted, “he’s left you sitting here for a ridiculous amount of time, either he isn’t coming or he’s just messing you about. Either way you deserve better.”

“Look,” I read his name tag, “David, I am sure you mean well, but what I deserve from Severus is precisely what he is willing to give, no more no less.”

“That is dragon dung and you know it!” David snarled at me, it almost sounded like he had a hippogriff in this race, but I couldn’t figure out how.

“You have no idea what I deserve from Severus. If anything I deserve his open scorn and distrust for our past, but he has, or at least had, extended his friendship to me anyway. I should have accepted that and not tried to push for more.”

“Why would you want more from such a manipulative arse anyway?” David seemed to have calmed down from his previous outburst, but he still seemed genuinely curious. Maybe that is why I answered him.

“Have you ever known someone that made you look forward to the next time you would meet? Where just knowing you were going to see them later that day made you happy all day long for no apparent reason? Someone who lingered in your thoughts so that when you saw some random thing that made you smile, made you think or even made you sad you automatically wanted to share it with them?”

“Yes,” David almost whispered his answer, his eyes filled with am almost melancholy longing.

“That is why,” I smiled at him, “Now if we are done with this discussion I would appreciate an explanation.” Oh, that caught his attention! There was the very briefest flash of what looked like panic across his face, I doubt I would have noticed if I hadn’t gotten so used to trying to interpret Severus’ own flashes of emotion before he managed to beat them into submission.

“What for?” He’d recovered admirably I must admit, if I hadn’t noticed his earlier panic I might have been completely fooled.

“You sticking your nose in like you were fully in your rights to do so.”

“I just didn’t want you to get your heart broken any further, that is all.”

“Is it? Do you frequently invite yourself to your customer’s table and have a heart to heart as if you are talking to a friend?”

“I-”

“-Stop. Just stop. Who are you?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: This chapter (and the next) and I are apparently mortal enemies. This is version _seven_ of the date (such as it is) and I was starting to fear I'd never get it to behave. I hope you like the version I finally settled on. If anyone is curious about the other versions let me know and I'll tell you about them.


	17. The Answer Was Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "This isn’t magic — it’s logic — a puzzle. A lot of the greatest wizards haven’t got an ounce of logic; they’d be stuck in here forever." What if Remus, who has being trying and failing to befriend Severus for several years, learned of Severus’ affinity for logic puzzles? What if after befriending him, he fell in love and decided that maybe the only way to Severus’ heart was through his brain?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: If you think any of these characters are mine please tell me what world you live in so I can move there posthaste! Also all of the puzzles in this story are real and actual logic puzzles that I have solved in various computer games with the obvious exception of the Rubik’s cube which I played in reality. None of the puzzles mentioned hereafter are my intellectual property and at the end of this section I give credit where credit is due.
> 
> Warnings/kinks: none unless mind games, both literal and metaphorical, count. Sneaky Remus, sneaky Severus, courtship, drama. Also I switch POV between the boys; hopefully it will be simple to tell whose head you’re in.

**Last time: _“-Stop. Just stop. Who are you?”_**

Remus looked at me suspiciously, I could see him piecing things together and my breath caught in my throat. I knew this was at least a factor in why I liked him, he was not as easily fooled as most. Stuck as I was either admitting my duplicity, and really as forgiving as Remus could be I suspected he would _not_ be amused by my deception, or clinging to it in the hopes of convincing him otherwise I chose the latter.

“I’m Dav-”

“-No you aren’t!” Remus was glaring and very nearly snarling at the impostor before him. It is sometimes far too easy to allow his friendly demeanor make me forget that he is every bit as dangerous as I and not just due to his cursed nature.

I should have stuck to my plan, it should have been simple. Approach, belittle myself as an outsider and present my alternate identity as a better option. Either he would respond positively, in which case I would know that Remus did not want me specifically or he wouldn’t respond and I would know he either wanted me in particular or at least someone who was not “David”.

I was lucky beyond my wildest dreams when he took the time to explain to “David” that he was infatuated with me and even why to a certain extent. My doubt was stifled as it could not have been through any other method I could devise. Yes, Remus apparently knew that “David” was not all that he appeared, but I was not so incapable of reading Remus’ expressions that I couldn’t tell how painfully open he was being.

That his description of his own feelings towards me dove-tailed so closely with my own only reassured me more and gave me hope that somehow I could make this right. Being caught in a lie didn’t strike me as the most auspicious way to begin this process, but I was cornered. Admitting who I was could only make things worse and now I was staring down the proverbial wand knowing exactly what I had to lose.

“Well who am I then?!” Not my wittiest retort, but I was hardly at my best at the moment trying desperately to figure out the least damaging way to extract myself from the situation I had foolishly inserted myself into.

“Aside from either the worst waiter in here, as you’ve been siting with me discussing my love life, or lack thereof, for far longer than your employer could possibly be okay with or you aren’t a waiter at all despite your uniform. You are comfortable enough with me that you feel safe yelling at me and as most strangers draw the line _before_ that, shy of rather extreme provocation, I’m guessing you are known to me. Finally, your smell is muddled in a way that generally indicates potions that affect one’s appearance so you are well enough known to me that I would recognize you.”

Remus paused then as if allowing me time to realize precisely how un-fooled he was. I didn’t know what to do. The more I thought about the logic behind my duplicity the flimsier it seemed, more excuses than justifiable reasons for my actions. Remus’ eyes had held a glimmer of hope, but as the silence stretched I watched it dim and finally die. I don’t know how I failed him, but clearly I had.

“Either you are one of my misguided but well-meaning friends or you are my date, either way I hope you got what you wanted.” With that Remus tossed a few sickles on the table, gathered his discarded coat and headed for the exit.

I sat there for several stunned seconds before I realized he wasn’t just trying to get a reaction, he was actually leaving. I gave chase, only barely catching up with him at the apparation point outside.

“Remus, wait!”

“I think I’ve waited rather long enough for you tonight, don’t you?” As pleasant as the words were the way they were said made my chest hurt. He wasn’t on the verge of tears, that would have been preferable to the cold, flatness in his voice. I’d only heard Remus sound like that once, though he didn’t know I was there, the night I reported the Potter’s betrayal.

“Remus, I-”

“Don’t Severus, I’m not sure I could listen to any reason you could give me right now.”

“How do you- never mind, how do I fix this if you won’t listen?”

“Owl me tomorrow if you feel you owe me an explanation,” he gave a small, false grin as if he felt he should rather than he actually wanted to, “I’m not feeling particularly reasonable at the moment.”

“Stop that.”

“Stop what?”

“Acting like you aren’t worthy of an explanation, pretending to be fine when we both know better and shutting me out with your damnable courtesy!”

“If you hate how I act so much, Severus, why did you even bother to show up?!”

“For the same reason you asked me to, imbecile!”

Silence reigned as we stared at each other. I couldn’t have said which of us was more surprised by my outburst, that wasn’t exactly how I’d planned to tell Remus I loved him back.

“Then why did you do this?” Remus didn’t seem mad anymore, sad, confused, disappointed and more than a bit hurt, but no longer mad. It was worse than the anger in a way, I knew how to deal with anger.

“A riddle for a riddle?” That drew a tentative smile from him, I hoped it wouldn’t be the the last one I saw tonight.

“Seems only fair considering I left you with one. It is your turn after all.”

“I make you weak at the worst of all times.  
I keep you safe, I keep you fine.  
I make your hands sweat, and your heart grow cold,  
I visit the weak, but seldom the bold.  
What am I?”

“Fear.” Remus expression changed at my revelation, now he did not seem as hurt, more curious and sympathetic.

“Yes.”

“Fear of what?”

“That you were settling and if someone else offered...”

“Severus, I am in no way settling for you.”

“I know that _now_ , but I had to be sure.”

“Next time you aren’t sure about something how about you consider asking instead of tricking me?” Remus was teasing me again, that more than anything else told me I was forgiven.

“Not exactly my usual approach, but I suppose I could consider it,” I smirked back.

“One more request.”

“Another one? I’d better start taking notes.” It felt ridiculously good to feel able to tease Remus again, I had feared I wouldn’t be allowed to after the stunt I pulled.

“I suspect you won’t mind this one overly much.”

“Go on then.”

“I’d very much like to kiss you, but I refuse to do so while you look like that so if you please...” I suspect I blushed then, I’d completely forgotten I was disguised.

“Just a moment, I have the counter-potion here somewhere...” I quickly found and drank it, glad that nullifying potions were almost always significantly more palatable than their counterparts.

“Much better.” Remus was smiling again, the very smile I had tried to puzzle out the meaning of many times before, only now I knew what it was. Remus loved me. I wondered idly if he realized he’d been looking at me like that practically from the beginning of our friendship, but as he pulled me into his arms for the first of hopefully many kisses I found I didn’t much care.

**Epilogue**

Those closest to Severus and Remus weren’t surprised when they were told that the two were seeing each other, they had all assumed that had been the case for months at that point. This lead to a far bit of good-natured ribbing which was met with embarrassed amusement from Remus and fond annoyance from Severus.

Remus and Severus never stopped exchanging riddles, usually just for fun, but occasionally to say difficult things. Severus’ favorite riddle remained the one Remus had given him when his courage fled and fear stilled his tongue. Remus’, however, became the riddle Severus used to propose to him three years later on the anniversary of their first disastrous date.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Most of the riddles showcased here were borrowed from the computer game series Baldur's Gate 1 and 2. The riddle which gives the series its name comes from the computer game King's Quest 6 To Heir is Human (and no, that is not a typo, Sierra just loves puns). The chess puzzle is from the computer game The Seventh Guest (which still manages to creep me out even a decade after I first encountered it). The "fear" riddle I found here: (<http://www.geeknative.com/3031/ride-the-riddles/>). I also made an oblique reference to yet another computer game, Vampire the Masquerade: Redemption, with the damaged painting of Christof the Bloody who was the main character of the game. The title I made up, though as he is a vampire that does a fair amount of fighting during the course of the game it seemed appropriate. All of these things are not mine, though I do own copies of all of the games! :D


End file.
